jV' 691 

Zopy 1 



Digitized 
in 2011 
The 



by 



the Internet Archive 
with funding from 
of Congress 



Library 



http://www.archive.ord/details/reportofcommitte02harv 



^y 691 

.H2 
Copy 1 



HARYARD COLLEGE. 



REPORT 



THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE 

SUBJECT OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS, AND TO 

REPORT THEREON TO THE FACULTY. 

WITH Ais^ appe:n^dix 

CONTAINING 

STATISTICS OF ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL 
EXERCISE IN HARVARD COLLEGE. 

Submitted June 12, 1888. 

TOGETHER WITH THE 

VOTES OF THE CORPORATION, OVERSEERS, AND 
COLLEGE FACULTY. 



CAMBRIDGE : 

JOHjf WILSON a:n^d son. 

1888. 






NEW YORK PUBL. LIB^ 
IN EXCHANGE. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PRELIMINAEY VOTES. 

Page 

The Overseers (May 9, 1888) . . » 6 

The Corporation (May 14, 1888) 6 

The College Faculty (May 15, 1888) 6 



REPORT. 

Sources of information 7 

I. History of Athletics and the Regulation of Athletics at 

Hauvakd College 8-16 

Fostering policy of the Corporation 8 

Increase in the number of sports and exercises 9 

Elaboration of games 9 

Discouragement of professionalism by the Corporation .... 10 

Limitation on the hours of match games 10 

Committee of Inquiry into Athletics (1882) 10 

Attempt to come to an agreement with other colleges . . . . 11 

Standing Committee on the Regulation of Athletic Sports (1882) 11 

Regulations adopted by the Committee 12 

Conference between delegates of colleges, to frame a scheme of 

joint control 12 

Resolutions proposed by the Conference lo 

Faihire of the attempt to establish joint control 14 

Prohibition of intercollegiate foot ball by Harvard 14 

Policy of the Committee (1882-85) 14 

Establishment of a new Committee on the Regulation of Athletic 

Sports, with undergraduate representation (1885) 15 

Policy of the Committee (1885-88) 15 

II. Inquiry into Alleged Abuses incident to Athletics . . l(j-26 

Analysis of the charges 16 

Physical effects of athletics 16-19 

Athletic and non-athletic men not separable 16 

Forms of exercise 17 

Time devoted to exercise 17 

Regularity of exercise 18 

Increase in health and strength 18 

Accidents 18 

Overcrowding of Gymnasium, play-grounds, and boat-house 18 

[3] 



Page 

Mental effects of athletics 19-23 

Attendance on College exercises 19 

Time devoted to exercise 20 

Time spent in athletic contests 20 

Attendance on College exercises by athletic men and by men 

not interested in athletics compared 21 

Time spent in going with teams to other colleges .... 21 
Scholarship of athletic men and of men not interested in ath- 
letics compared 22 

Effect of athletics on the University spirit 23 

Moral effects of athletics 23-26 

Criticisms on conduct of games . 23 

Traces of a professional spirit 24 

Criticisms on particular sports 24 

Moral effect favorable 24 

Expense of athletics 25 

Intercollegiate feeling 25 

Celebrations 25 

Summary of abuses not found to exist 26 

Summary of abuses acknowledged to exist 26 

III. Connexion of Intercollegiate Contests with Acknow- 

ledged Abuses 26-27 

Principles of freedom and of regulation 26 

Most abuses not directly connected with intercollegiate contests . 27 

Freshman contests criticised 27 

Unfounded charge of ill treatment of visiting teams 27 

Intercollegiate contests approved 27 

IV. Recommendations 28-29 

1. Enlarged play-grounds 27 

2. An addition to the Gymnasium 28 

3. The creation of a University Committee on Athletics .... 28 



APPENDIX. 

I. College Rank of Athletic Men and of Men not Interested 

in Athletics 31-34 

Table 1. The University teams (1885-86) 31 

" 2. The Freshman teams (1885-86) 32 

" 3. Seniors on the teams (1885-86) 32 

'^ 4. The Freshman teams (1886-87) 33 

" 5. Seniors on the teams (1886-87) 33 

" 6. Men not interested in athletics (1887-88) 34 

" 7. General average for 11 classes (1877-87) 34 

II. Attendance of Athletic Men and of Men not Interested 

in Athletics . 35-36 

Table 8. The University teams (1886-87) 35 

" 9. The Freshman teams (1886-87) 35 

" 10. Men not interested in athletics (1887-88) 36 

III. Use of the Gymnasium 36-37 

Table 11. Students examined, strength, etc. (June, 1887) . . 36 
" 12. Lockers in the Gymnasium (1880-88) 37 



Page 

IV. Athletic Contests and Contestants '. 37-38 

Table 13. Base ball games played by the University nines 

(1880-87) 37 

*' 14. Athletic contests (1886-87) 38 

" 15. Competitors in various sports (1887-88) 38 

V. Statements of Students of Harvard College .... 39-56 

Table 16. Circular of inquiry 39 

" 17. Value of the results 40 

" 18. K'umber of replies to the circular 40 

Kinds and amount of exercise 41-44 

Table 19. Number of forms of physical exercise .... 41 

" 20. Kinds of physical exercise taken 41 

" 21. Seasons of exercise 42 

" 22. Hours per day devoted to exercise during the 

season of exercise .43 

" 23. Number of weeks of exercise per year .... 44 

" 24. Total number of hours of exercise per year ... 44 
" 25. Examinations by the Director of the Gymnasium 

(June, 1888) 45 

Table 26. Prevention of the use of apparatus in the Gymnasium 46 

" 27. Prevention of the use of play-grounds 46 

*' 28. Number of athletic organizations to which students 

belong 47 

" 29. Number and importance of injuries to students in 

athletic exercises and contests 47 

" 30. Amount contributed by students for the support of 

athletics 48 

Attendance on games 48-51 

Table 31. Number of students who have attended 1, 2, 3, 
etc., intercollegiate contests in Cambridge dur- 
ing the last year 48 

** 32. Attendance at athletic contests in Cambridge, not 

counting the intercollegiate athletic contests . 49 
" 33. Attendance of students at intercollegiate contests 

outside of Cambridge 50 

" 34. Number of College exercises missed in conse- 
quence of such attendance 50 

Table 35. College opinion on athletics 51-56 

Effect on participants 51 

Eifect on students in general 52 

Effects of particular sports 53 

Intercollegiate contests 53 

Freshman intercollegiate contests 54 

Limitation of athletic contests 54 

Play with professionals 54 

Complaints 55 

Expenses 55 

In general 56 



VOTES UPON THE REPORT. 

Votes of the Faculty (June 12, 1888) 57 

Vote of the Corporation (June 16, 1888) 58 

Vote of the Overseers (June 20, 1888) . 59 



VOTES OF THE OVERSEERS. 

In Board of Overseers of Harvard College, 

Boston, May 9, 1888. 

Yoted, — To transmit to the President and Fellows the votes of 
this Board as follows : — 

Ma}' 2, 1888. Whereas in the opinion of this Board an undue 
prominence is now given to Athletic Contests in the College, and 
excesses and abuses attending the same and mainl}^ incidental to 
intercollegiate contests should be checked and guarded against for 
the future. Therefore 

Voted^ — That in the opinion of this Board intercollegiate con- 
tests should take place only in Cambridge, New Haven, or such other 
New England citj' or town as the Committee on Athletics ma}^ from 
time to time designate, that University teams alone should be per- 
mitted to take part in intercollegiate contests, and that students 
should be prohibited from taking part in contests with organizations 
not belonging to the University, except on Saturdays and holida3's. 

May 9, 1888. Voted, — That in the opinion of this Board it is 
expedient that the existing Committee on Athletics should be in- 
creased b}^ adding thereto two members of the Facultj^ and one 
undergraduate, — the undergraduate members of the Committee to be 
appointed by the undergraduates in such manner as the Faculty ma}^ 
determine ; and that the Committee should have entire supervision 
and control of all athletic exercises within and without the precincts 
of the Universit}'', subject to the authority of the Facultj-. 

The Committee thus constituted comprises three members of the 
College Faculty, one graduate of the College, one plnsician, three 
undergraduates. 

Voted, — That in the opinion of this Board additional space 
should be provided as soon as practicable for use as a College 
play-ground. A true cop}^ of record. 

Attest: ALEXANDER McKENZIE, 

Secretary. 

VOTE OF THE CORPORATION. 

At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard College, 
May 14, 1888. Voted, — To transmit to the College Faculty a copy 
of the communication received from the Overseers in relation to ath- 
letics, and to request them to examine the whole subject and make a 
report thereon to this Board. A true copy of record. 

Attest: E. W. HOOPER, Secretary. 

VOTE OF THE COLLEGE FACULTY. 

Faculty Mpzeting, May 15, 1888. 

Voted, — That a Committee be appointed to carry out the request 
of the Corporation as above recorded. 

The President appointed as the Committee, Professors J. W. 
White, Chaplin, Hart. A true copy of record. 

Attest: C. J. AVHITE, Acting Dean. 



REPORT. 



Cambridge, June 12, 1888. 
To THE Faculty of Harvard College : 

Gentlemen, — Your Committee were requested to examine 
the whole subject of athletics in Harvard College. In accord- 
ance with this instruction they have investigated, to the best of 
their ability, the exact state of the facts. They have endeavored 
to acquaint themselves in a thorough manner with the history 
of athletic exercises and sports in the College, and have spared 
no pains to learn their actual condition. In an Appendix to 
this Report they present, chiefly in the form of tables, a part 
of the results of their investigation. The tables are grouped 
under subjects, and a statement is made at the head of each 
table of the specific object in view in its compilation. The first 
ten of these tables were compiled from the records of the College 
office ; the next three were furnished by the D?rector of the 
Hemenway Gymnasium; the fourteenth was compiled with his 
assistance, and the fifteenth with the help of the Assistant in 
Physical Training and of men prominent in the various athletic 
organizations; the last twenty present in tabular form the 
replies to a circular of inquiry sent to all students in Harvard 
College. 

In conducting this investigation your Committee further con- 
ferred with the members of the 'Yarsity Club (an association 
of the prominent athletes in the University) at a meeting at 
which the President of the University, one member of the 
Faculty of the Law School, and three members of the College 
Faculty were present; with the Committee on the Regulation 
of Athletic Sports ; and with representatives to the number of 
twenty-five from the thirteen athletic organizations of the Col- 
lege. They have also frequently conferred with the Director of 



the Gymnasium ; and their special thanks are due to him and 
to his Assistant in the Department of Physical Training. 

As the result of their investigation, your Committee have the 
honor to present the following report, with accompanying tables. 
The report embraces : (I.) an historical account of athletics, and 
particularly of the regulation of athletics, in Harvard College ; 
(11.) an inquiry into the alleged abuses connected with athletics ; 
(III.) an inquiry into the connexion between the abuses that actually 
exist and intercollegiate contests ; and (lY.) recommendations. 

I. The authorities of the University have always desired to 
promote the physical exercises and athletic sports of students. 
The President of the University stated in his report for 1873-74 
that the Corporation were well satisfied that the moral and 
physical effects of such sports as were then practised on Jarvis 
and Holmes Fields were alike salutary ; and he urged that it 
was important that the University should give opportunity for 
a variety of physical exercises, inasmuch as the preferences of 
students varied, and an exercise that was enjoyed would be 
more useful than one that was repulsive. 

Consistently with this policy, Jarvis and Holmes Fields had 
been purchased for the use of students, and had been put into 
proper order for out-of-door sports. The old Gymnasium, which 
was built in 1859, became outgrown, and in 1873 the President 
of the University recommended that it be converted into a swim- 
ming-bath, and that a new gymnasium be built. The need of 
a new gymnasium was frequently urged in subsequent reports 
of the President. The Hemenway Gymnasium, which had been 
built by the generosity of Mr. Hemenway, was transferred to the 
College in 1879. The Corporation immediately appointed an 
Assistant Professor of Physical Training and Director of the 
Gymnasium. An Assistant in Physical Training was appointed 
in 1885. In 1883 the Corporation, by a grant of one thousand 
dollars, aided the Athletic Association to grade the northerly 
portion of Holmes Field, and to prepare there a new ground for 
ball games and a new running-track. The President of the 
University in his report for 1882-83 urged the need of two 
additional provisions for physical exercise and recreation,— 
tennis-courts and a swimming-bath. Two years later, by the aid 
of a loan from the Corporation, thirty-six tennis-courts were laid 
out on Jarvis and Holmes Fields. 



9 

Physical exercises and athletic sports have flourished under 
this wise policy. The oldest of the out-of-door sports of the 
University are foot ball, rowing, cricket, and base ball. The 
first boat race with Yale occurred in 1852. The first regatta 
occurred in 1859, and class races were first rowed in 1865. The 
University Boat Club was founded in 1869. The Cricket Club 
was organized in 1862 ; but cricket has never flourished in the 
University, though efforts are at the present time being made to 
establish it on a better basis. The Base Ball Club was founded 
in 1864, and the first game of the University Nine was played in. 
1865. The Foot Ball Association was founded in 1873, though 
the game had been played long before ; and the Athletic Associa- 
tion was founded in 1874. The Lacrosse Association was founded 
in 1878. Since the equipment of the Hemenway Gymnasium in 
1879, five new organizations have sprung up, — the Polo, Shoot- 
ing, Canoe, and Bicycle clubs, and the Sparring Association. It 
should be noted also that the Athletic Association now compre- 
hends within itself many different forms of sport ; twenty forms 
are enumerated in Table 15 of the Appendix. The University 
has never been so well provided as now with the means of fur- 
nishing proper forms of physical exercise to students, whether 
within the Gymnasium or on the fields. The athletic inter- 
est, as the authorities of the University have desired, has become 
one that affects the daily life of almost all the students. In 
the opinion of your Committee, the athletic exercises and sports 
of the University have never been in so healthy a condition or 
under so good control as now. Certainly, never before have 
they been practised so generally by the students. ' 

It is true of most sports that they become more scientific the 
longer they are practised. This is natural, and is not in itself 
an evil. As a game is played during successive years its appli- 
ances are perfected, the rules governing it are elaborated and 
improved, and the technical skill of the individual players be- 
comes greater. Base ball and foot ball, as practised twenty-five 
years ago, were very different from the same sports to-day. 
Many of the sports pass in the course of time into the hands of 
the class called professional, and there they naturally reach their 
highest development. They then cease to be sports to those prac- 
tising them, although they are of absorbing interest to the specta- 
tors, as is notably the case to-day with base ball ; and they thus 



10 

become a business and a means of livelihood. Nothing is more 
natural than that students in a university, practising these sports 
at first as games, should desire, as they see them perfected in 
the hands of professionals, to acquire the same technical skill. 
The danger of this tendency is wide-spread, and is not recent. 
Those having at heart the best interests of the young men who 
enter the universities cannot but believe that, when the exercises 
and sports which should be a means of recreation and of improve- 
ment in physique become a business instead of a pleasure, they 
are a menace and an evil. 

The authorities of Harvard University have not been blind to 
this danger. The President announced in his Report for 1873-74, 
after speaking of the improvement of Holmes and Jarvis Fields, 
that while the Corporation desired to foster manly sports, they 
had felt compelled " to discourage by every means in their power 
the association of students with the class of persons who make 
their living by practising or exhibiting these games ; to dissuade 
students from making athletic sports the main business, instead 
of one of the incidental pleasures, of their College lives ; and to 
prohibit altogether the taking of money for admission to witness 
the sports upon the College play-grounds." This last limitation, 
after consideration, was finally removed. 

The Faculty of the College, prior to 1882, had imposed only 
one limitation upon sports : they had passed a regulation to 
the effect that no match games, races, or athletic exhibitions 
should take place in Cambridge except after the last recitation 
hour on Saturday, or after four o'clock in the afternoon. But 
in the spring of 1882 tlie schedule of games of the Base Ball 
Club was made the subject of inquiry before the Faculty. It 
was found that the programme of their games carried the 
Nine frequently out of Cambridge, and that it included eleven 
games with professional clubs. (See Table 13.) The number of 
games played, however, had been greater in previous years. 
The maximum was reached as early as 1870, when the Nine 
played forty-four games (twenty -six out of term time), winning 
thirty-four, and went on a tour through the State of New York 
and the South and West. Prompted by the inquiry mentioned, 
the Faculty appointed a committee of five members to consider 
and report upon the subject of athletic sports and their relation 
to College work. The Committee examined the existing meth- 



11 

ods of maintaining and conducting athletic sports, conferred 
with graduates and undergraduates who were especially inter- 
ested in them, and made a report embracing the following 
recommendations, which were adopted : that the President of 
the University should address the authorities of other colleges to 
secure the passing of a regulation that the base ball clubs of 
their respective colleges should be forbidden to play with profes- 
sional clubs ; that a Standing Committee on the Regulation of 
Athletic Sports should be appointed, to consist of three mem- 
bers, of whom the Director of the Gymnasium should be one, to 
report to the Faculty at the first meeting in January of each 
year ; that the Corporation should be requested to rescind their 
vote respecting gate-money. In the autumn the President laid 
before the Faculty his correspondence with the authorities of 
Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, and Amherst (the institu- 
tions whose students were represented in the Intercollegiate 
Base Ball League), from which it appeared that all these col- 
leges except Yale were willing to prohibit games with pro- 
fessional clubs. 

The Standing Committee on the Regulation of Athletic Sports 
began its labors in the autumn of 1882. During the first year 
and a half of its control of athletic sports, it had the advice and 
assistance of two members of the Corporation, who with it con- 
stituted a joint committee on athletics. Thus assisted, its mem- 
bers first of all endeavored to acquaint themselves with the 
precise condition of the various athletic organizations, and with 
the state of feeling among the undergraduates and recent grad- 
uates in regard to the practice of athletic sports. As the Chair- 
man of the Committee reported in January, 1884, they found 
prevailing among the students most interested in athletic sports 
a general spirit of reasonableness and a sense of satisfaction that 
the Faculty had undertaken the systematic regulation of athletics 
in relation to the other interests of College life. It was appar- 
ent that many of the evils which had grown up in connexion 
with the practice of athletics were not inherent in the sports 
themselves. But it was also apparent that during recent years 
a strong, and in every respect objectionable, tendency had devel- 
oped to break down the line between athletics practised for sport, 
social recreation, and health, and athletics practised in a com- 
petitive spirit in emulation of professional athletes and players. 



12 

The Committee felt that their first object must be to endeavor 
to restrain College sports within the limits of amateur athletics. 
As the result of their deliberations they passed the following- 
regulations : That no College club or athletic association should 
play or compete with professionals ; that no person should as- 
sume the functions of trainer or instructor in athletics upon the 
grounds or within the buildings of the College, without authority 
in writing from the Committee ; that no student should enter 
as a competitor in any athletic sport, or join as an active 
member any College athletic club, including base ball, foot ball, 
cricket, lacrosse, and rowing associations, without a previous 
examination by the Director of the Gymnasium, and his per- 
mission so to do ; that all match games outside of Cambridge 
should be played upon Saturday, unless permission to play upon 
other days was first obtained from the Committee. These regu- 
lations are still in force. The first and second proved unaccept- 
able to a considerable body of students. It was urged that the 
prohibition to play with professional clubs would put our men at 
a serious disadvantage in competing with other College clubs 
upon whom this restriction was not imposed. The Committee 
recommended in their first report to the Faculty, in January, 
1883, that there should be attached to the staff of the Gymnasium, 
in the absence of a professional trainer, a person of good educa- 
tion and breeding, with the qualifications requisite to enable him 
to advise students as to the best modes of training and practice 
in walking, running, leaping, bicycle-riding and other sports ; 
who, in addition to his duties on the field, should keep the rec- 
ord of the College games and the accounts of the various ath- 
letic clubs, and should act in all respects as a permanent adviser 
and superintendent of College sports. 

In the autumn of 1883 it became apparent to the Committee 
that the game of foot ball, as then played in intercollegiate games, 
had become brutal and dangerous, and that it involved not only 
danger to life and limb, but what was much more serious, dan- 
ger to the manly spirit and to the disposition for fair play on the 
part of the contestants. Changes were made in the rules under 
which the game was played, but these proved insufficient to 
remedy the evils. This experience and other similar considera- 
tions led the Committee to propose joint action on the part of 
the authorities of the various colleges concerned. They there- 



13 

fore sent a formal letter to the Faculty of Yale College, request- 
ing them, if they agreed in opinion with the Committee, to call 
a conference at New Haven of delegates from the leading col- 
leges for tlie discussion of the matter of intercollegiate athletics, 
and for the consideration of action to be taken jointly. This 
request was declined. The Committee then itself called a con- 
ference in New York. The invitation was sent to thirteen insti- 
tutions of learning. The conference was held on the 28th of 
December, 1883, and eight colleges and universities were repre- 
sented by twelve delegates, including three college presidents. 
The institutions represented were Williams, Trinity, Wesleyan, 
the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and 
Harvard. After full discussion, a committee of five members 
was appointed to prepare a plan for the joint control of inter- 
collegiate sports. This committee duly presented the following 
resolutions : — 

1 . Resolved : That every director or instructor in physical exercises 
or athletic sports must be appointed by the College authorities, and 
announced as such in the catalogue. 

2. Resolved: That no professional athlete, oarsman, or ball player 
shall be employed either for instruction or for practice in preparation 
for any intercollegiate contest. 

3. Resolved: That no College organization shall row, or play base 
ball, foot ball, lacrosse, or cricket, except with similar organizations 
from their own or other institutions of learning. 

4. Resolved: That there shall be a Standing Committee, composed 
of one member from the Faculty of each of the colleges adopting 
these regulations, whose duty it shall be to supervise all contests in 
which students of their respective colleges may engage, and approve 
all rules and regulations under which such contests may be held. 

5. Resolved: That no student shall be allowed to take part in any 
intercollegiate contest as a member of any club, team, or crew for 
more than four years. 

6. Resolved: That all intercollegiate games of base ball, foot ball, 
lacrosse, and cricket shall take place upon the home grounds of one 
or other of the competing colleges. 

7. Resolved: That no intercollegiate boat race shall be for a longer 
distance than three miles. 

8. Resolved: That the students of colleges in which these resolu- 
tions are in force shall not be allowed to engage in games or contests 
with the students of colleges in which they are not in force. 



14 

At a second conference, which was attended by delegates from 
Wesleyan, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Dartmouth, 
Columbia, Amherst, Lafayette, Rutgers, and Harvard, these reso- 
lutions were subsequently discussed, and were then sent to the 
Faculties of twenty-one colleges with a letter stating that the 
resolutions would become binding when adopted by five colleges. 
These resolutions were adopted, by a vote of twenty-five to five, 
by the Faculty of Harvard College, and unanimously by the Fac- 
ulty and the Trustees of Princeton College. Their adoption was 
strongly opposed by students here and elsewhere. The resolu- 
tions were adopted only by Princeton and Harvard. Regret was 
expressed by many of the other colleges at a third conference 
which was subsequently held, and explanations were offered why 
these colleges had not been able immediately to adopt the pro- 
posed regulations. This third conference announced that since 
five colleges had failed to concur in tlieir adoption, the attempt 
to exercise joint control was abandoned. 

Thus failed the second attempt promoted by Harvard College 
to secure the adoption of regulations for the joint control of 
intercollegiate sports. If it had been successful, the evils would 
probably never have arisen which now cause the friends of the 
University great anxiety, prompting some of them to propose 
strict limitations upon intercollegiate contests, and inducing 
others even to urge their abolition. 

This Faculty did not, however, in consequence of the failure 
to secure the joint control of intercollegiate sports, abandon the 
policy of the regulation of sports in this College, but undertook 
single-handed, through its Athletic Committee, to impose the 
restraints which it deemed necessary. Convinced that the game 
of foot ball was very objectionable, and that it could not be im- 
proved by the Harvard Team without the co-operation of tlie 
teams from other colleges, it prohibited all intercollegiate foot 
ball games in January, 1885. This prohibition was maintained 
for one year. The Athletic Committee, further, lent its aid to the 
Graduate Advisory Committee on Boating in checking certain 
evils which had begun to manifest themselves in this form of 
exercise. It nominated to the Corporation the present Assistant 
in the Department of Physical Training. It maintained the 
settled policy of keeping in constant communication with the 
tudents, and held weekly meetings on Thursdays at noon open 



15 

to any officer or member of any athletic organization who might 
have business to present or might desire information. Students 
freely availed themselves of this opportunity to consult with the 
Committee, the result of which was a better mutual understand- 
ing. The Committee frequently met also representatives of the 
different athletic organizations, and discussed with them the 
allotment of ground, — the provision in this respect being alto- 
gether inadequate, — assignment of hours, class games, lists of 
games, selection and training of men, and the general policy 
and management of College sports. 

The attitude of the students in all these discussions was so 
reasonable, and they manifested such an earnest desire to legis- 
late for the general welfare of the University, paying due regard 
to the experience of the past and to the bearings of legislation on 
the sports in the future, that the Committee of the Faculty on the 
Regulation of Atliletic Sports, after three years of control, deter- 
mined to propose to the Faculty the appointment of a new com- 
mittee, to consist of five members ; namely, the Director of the 
Gymnasium, a physician resident in Boston or Cambridge, a 
graduate of Harvard College interested in athletic sports, and 
two undergraduates chosen from among the leaders in athletic 
sports. This committee was to be appointed by the President of 
the University for the term of one year, was to report to the 
Faculty at the first meeting in January in each year, and on all 
questions involving general principles was to consult the Faculty 
before communicating its decisions to the students. The Faculty 
adopted the recommendation ; and this has been the constitution 
of the Athletic Committee, so called, since the autumn of 1885. 
The new Committee have justified the expectations with which 
they were appointed. The undergraduate members have been 
conservative in dealing with questions of policy, and have been 
earnest and faithful in their attention to the athletic interests of 
the University. The new Committee have followed the lines laid 
down by the first Committee. It is not possible here to do more 
than enumerate some of the more important questions which 
during the past three years have been submitted to their con- 
sideration. They have dealt resolutely with the evils attaching 
to foot ball, securing finally such changes of the rules under 
which the game is played as will probably rid it of its most 
objectionable features ; they have excluded professional attend- 



16 

ants from the floor of the Gymnasium during public contests ; 
they have made an important recommendation to the Corpora- 
tion in the interests of rowing ; in conference with the officers 
of the different athletic organizations, they have considered 
means of lessening the evil of betting at intercollegiate con- 
tests ; they have promoted the formation of class organizations 
in the different sports ; they have dealt with the perplexing 
problems arising from the smallness of the two fields used for 
athletic sports and from the insufficient accommodations of the 
Gymnasium; they have aimed to lessen the number of games 
played by the teams with other colleges and with amateurs ; 
they have, finally, secured the appointment of a committee to 
audit the receipts and expenditures of the five principal athletic 
organizations. 

Such is the history of the regulation of athletics in Harvard 
College. While the authorities of the College have fostered the 
growth of physical exercises and athletic sports as a means of 
recreation and to promote health, they have also endeavored to 
control the incidental evils which attach to these sports. 

II. The necessity of regulation implies the existence of abuse. 
There is a wide-spread impression that abuses prevail. The 
charges of abuse may be brought under three heads : first, that 
athletic contests discourage general exercise among the mass of 
the students, and have some mischievous physical effects on 
those who practise them ; secondly, that they interfere with 
study, causing loss of time, decrease of attainment, and diversion 
of interest ; thirdly, that they have certain bad moral effects both 
on participants and spectators, that they do not prevent dissipa- 
tion, that they stimulate extravagance, and that the}^ lower the 
moral tone. These charges will be considered in order. 

1. The assertion is frequently made that athletic contests are 
not favorable to the health of the students as a body ; that the 
athletes themselves are stimulated in an irregular and unhealthy 
way ; that tliey are given such preference as to incommode those 
who exercise moderately ; and that men who cannot excel are 
discouraged. This charge rests upon a mistaken view of the 
relations between athletics and physical exercise ; that is, between 
exercises practised in order to excel and exercises practised for 
the sake of health and recreation. There is no sharp division 
of students into two groups, the athletic and the non-athletic. 



17 

There are no classes of sports given up to athletic men, and there 
are none practised solely for pastime by non-athletic men. 

Your Committee have therefore found it necessary to investi- 
gate the condition of physical exercise in the College in all 
forms. An inspection of the tables in the Appendix will at once 
show that the students may be roughly divided into three cate- 
gories. The total number of members of the Mott Haven team, 
and of the University and Freshman crews, nines, and foot ball 
and lacrosse teams in 1886-87 was 131 (Tables 8, 9) ; or, deduct- 
ing those on more than one team, and those not members of the 
College, 117 men may be considered athletes. A second class is 
made up of men who strive to excel in some sport, who train 
with the teams and compete in College contests. These number 
300, and with the athletes, make up the total of 417 competi- 
tors in sports, shown in Table 15. The third class, comprising 
from 600 to 700 students, exercise with no intention of compet- 
ing in contests. There is practically no class of men in College 
who do not exercise at all ; out of 1021 students reporting, only 
sixteen set themselves down as taking no exercise (Table 19). 

An analysis of the answers of the students to the questions of 
the Committee shows great variety in the forms of habitual exer- 
cise. Three fourths of the students have more than one form of 
exercise ; few have more than four ; the average is about three 
forms of exercise. Table 20 shows the distribution of preferences 
for particular sports. The G-ymnasium claims the largest num- 
ber, 610 men having set down that form of exercise in their an- 
swers; and many others use the Gymnasium occasionally. More 
than three fourths of all the students in College have been 
examined by the Director of the Gymnasium (Tables 11, 25). 
Next in popularity comes walking, which is chosen by 635 men. 
Next is lawn tennis, which is played by about 600 men. Base 
ball is a favorite sport, in which 301 men take part. 179 men 
row, including a number whose rowing is confined to the sum- 
mer. Foot ball has 135 adherents. Less common are running 
(111), riding (93), bicycling (84), and sparring (66). 

The value of exercise is dependent not so much upon its form 
as upon the hours devoted to it, and upon the regularity and 
persistence with which it is carried on. Tables 21 and 22 show 
that the great majority of students (about 800 out of 1000) give 
from one to three hours per day to exercise during the period 

2 



18 

of exercise. The average is about one and two thirds hours 
daily ; but about three hundred men let at least one season pass 
without any systematic exercise. A partial explanation is found 
in Tables 23 and 24. Those who omit a season are likely to 
spend more hours per day during the rest of the year. Making 
allowance for this fact, the average of regular exercise through- 
out the College year is about one hour and twenty minutes ; 
and on the average, students exercise during seven eighths of the 
College year. In the judgment of the Committee the time spent 
in exercise is not excessive, but on the contrary is less than 
young men require in order to preserve good health. The cases 
of excessive exercise, as shown in Tables 22 and 24, are less 
than fifty in number ; the cases of too little exercise are over one 
Imndred in number. 

Your Committee cannot but believe that athletic contests 
directly contribute to this favorable condition of physical exer- 
cise. Upon the participants themselves the physical effects are 
good. The average strength of students and the perfection 
of their physical development have greatly increased during ten 
years. At present there are about one hundred men in College 
stronger than the strongest man in 1880 (Table 11). The regu- 
larity and moderation of life necessary for men in training have 
a very favorable effect on health (Table 35). The subject of 
accidents has also been investigated. The number of "serious" 
accidents in Table 29 has probably been made unduly large by the 
desire of the Committee to include doubtful cases. As it stands, 
about one per cent of the students meet with a serious accident 
yearly. This proportion is probably no greater than among 
other active young men. An exact account of each case could 
easily be obtained from the records of the Committee. The 
effect of competitive athletics upon students who do not play on 
teams is less easy to define ; but the example of athletes and the 
interest aroused by competition tend to stimulate exercise among 
all classes of students. This is notably the case with the three 
hundred students who work with the hope of being chosen 
upon a team or of entering competitions for prizes. 

Complaints have been made that athletic teams monopolize 
the apparatus, grounds, and boat-house of the University. In 
Tables 26, 27, and 35 your Committee have collected more than 
one hundred and fifty such complaints. It is established that 



19 

many students are seriously incommoded or prevented from tak- 
ing their chosen form of exercise. The difficulty, however, does 
not arise from the number of athletic men or of teams, but from 
the very large number of students, athletic and non-athletic, who 
desire to use at the same time the facilities furnished by the Col- 
lege. From the arrangement of studies in College the students 
find it desirable, if not essential, to exercise between 2 and 
6 p. M. Not more than two hundred persons can be comfortably 
accommodated on the floor of the Gymnasium at the same time ; 
sometimes more than four hundred are present at once, and de- 
sire to use the apparatus or the floor-space. The preference given 
to teams secures the use of the apparatus by the largest possible 
number of men. In the opinion of the Committee the Gymna- 
sium, under the efficient management of the Director, has. been a 
most important influence in the development of healthy and gen- 
eral physical exercise ; but the dressing-rooms, bathing facilities, 
and rooms for special exercises are too small for the number of 
students who use them. The same criticism applies to the Col- 
lege play-grounds. The liberality of the College has furnished 
grounds in the immediate vicinity of the College, covering thir- 
teen and one fourth acres. The increase in the number of 
sports carried on at the same time, and in the number of men 
who engage in field exercises, has caused an overcrowding of 
the play-grounds. If all the students in College who sometimes 
play tennis should attempt to play doubles at the same time, the 
necessary courts would cover about twenty acres, — one half 
more than the total available ground. The boat-house is no 
larger than is necessary for the requirements of the various 
crews. There is small space for the storage of working boats ; 
and the building is situated in an inconvenient and unpleasant 
quarter. 

2. Though it be granted that the physical effects of the present 
system are good, there may still be force in the second objection ; 
viz., that the practice of athletics greatly interferes with regular 
College work by interrupting attendance, by taking time from 
studies, and by preventing the growth of a university spirit. The 
attendance of students at College exercises is now regulated by 
a very simple rule : any instructor who is dissatisfied with the 
attendance of a student may exclude him from his class, and tlie 
student so excluded is obliged to seek entrance into some other 



20 

course or to lose a part of his year's work. In order to get his 
degree or to keep his place in the class, every man interested 
in athletics must therefore satisfy a considerable number of in- 
structors. No distinction is made by the College between ath- 
letic and non-athletic men, except that in a very few cases a 
team is allowed to leave Cambridge a few hours earlier, or to 
return a few hours later, than the limits of a College recess or 
half holiday permit. 

The testimony given by members of the teams at the confer- 
ences held by your Committee was that the total time necessary 
for practice by the members of the Nine, Eleven, and the Crew 
amounted to from one and three fourths to three hours per day ; 
and this statement is confirmed by Table 22. The training, 
moreover, is not so severe as to make the time devoted to study 
of less value to members of teams than, to other students. Of 
course the time spent in playing match games takes the place 
of exercise for that day. The only time, therefore, which can 
reasonably be considered wasted is that consumed in travelling 
by the teams which play out of Cambridge. 

The question of attendance at games and its effect on attend- 
ance in College is illustrated by Tables 14, and 31 to 34. There 
can be no doubt as to the interest of students in athletics. The 
number of those who do not exercise and do not care to witness 
the contests is surprisingly small (Tables 6, 10, and 19) ; and the 
opinion of students, as expressed in Table 35, shows clearly the 
value which they set upon the sports. The actual number of con- 
tests, as shown in Table 14, seems large ; but taking intercol- 
legiate and other athletic contests in Cambridge together, we find 
that the average number attended by students is twenty-two for 
the year (Tables 31 and 32), or one a week during October, No- 
vember, April, May, and June. An analysis of the tables explains 
this seeming discrepancy. The number of contests has increased 
of late years, in part from the appearance of new sports, a list 
of which is given in Table 15, and in part from the great increase 
in the number of students. Twenty years ago the College stu- 
dents enumerated in the catalogue were 479 ; in 1887-88 there 
were 1138. 

According to the records of the Gymnasium, there were 
ninety-four athletic contests in 1886-87 (Table 14). But it is 
not safe to argue from this great number that the sports enu- 



21 

merated in the table are unduly prominent. Sixty-nine of 
these contests were really practice games. The list includes all 
the games played by the Base Ball, Foot Ball, and Lacrosse teams. 
Of the thirty Tfive games of base ball recorded, only ten were 
championship games, and of these only four were played in 
Cambridge. These games — the games with Yale and Prince- 
ton — are the only base ball games that attract large numbers 
of spectators. The facts are similar for all the other sporty 
recorded in the table. Of these ninety-four games played last 
year there were only twelve in Cambridge that were largely 
attended, — on the average, one in three weeks ; and of the 
twelve only six were intercollegiate (Tables 14 and 31). By far 
the greater number of these games put no unusual strain upon 
the players, and were in no sense a distraction to the body of 
students. According to the managers of the contests, — a testi- 
mony confirmed by the observation of the Committee, — the 
attendance at games played in Cambridge with teams from the 
smaller colleges is insufficient to pay expenses. 

The true test of the effect on attendance at College exercises 
is to compare the attendance of members of teams with the 
average attendance in the College, and with the average of men 
who do not exercise or are not interested in athletics. In Tables 
8 to 10 this comparison is made. The members of the Uni- 
versity teams lose on the average, in the course of the year, 
about three exercises more than the average of their classes. 
The attendance of the Freshman teams is decidedly poorer. 
Of the men distinctly not interested in athletics enumerated in 
Table 10, the first two classes have a record much worse than 
that of ten of the eleven teams ; in the third class — of men not 
attending intercollegiate games — the average attendance is not 
so good as that of the most regular Freshman team. 

The Committee have taken special pains to ascertain the num- 
ber of men who go with the teams to other colleges. Table 33 
shows that more than one half of the students in College never 
leave Cambridge for this purpose ; and that on the average all 
absences from a College exercise from this cause amount to 
slightly more than one each year for each student. Less than 
one tenth of the men in College have lost more than two days 
from this cause. It is the universal testimony of those who 
conduct and witness these sports, both undergraduates and 



22 

graduates, including a member of this Committee, that in their 
experience the games at New Haven are the only ones that 
attract any considerable number of visitors from Harvard ; and 
that at those games the number of students who accompany the 
teams rarely exceeds forty. The same thing is true of the bands 
of visitors who accompany teams from other colleges to Cam- 
bridge. A conspicuous exception to this statement was the 
foot ball match in New York on last Thanksgiving Day. (See 
Table 34, note.) Three hundred and five rail and boat tickets 
were sold at special rates to students attending at this time ; and 
some others doubtless went earlier. The game occurred on a 
holiday ; and a large number of students who were present lost 
no College exercise in consequence. A considerable number — 
probably more than seventy-five — live in the vicinity of New 
York City. 

It is therefore the conclusion of the Committee that athletic 
sports do not seriously interfere with attendance on College 
courses. 

Do athletic contests tend to usurp the interest due to study, and 
thus to lower the scholarship of those who take part in them ? 
It might be urged a priori that the discipline, the regularity of 
life, and the perseverance required of successful contestants in 
athletic sports, would tend to make athletes more efficient men ; 
and there have been numerous cases in which athletic men have 
been high scholars. Your Committee have obtained positive evi- 
dence on this point, and they are themselves surprised at the conclu- 
siveness of the proof that, except in the Freshman year, study 
is not interfered with by athletics. Tables 1 to 7 make possible a 
comparison of the College rank of athletic men and of men not in- 
terested in athletics with the average of their respective classes. 
It will be seen that the percentage of the University teams in bat 
one case falls below the average of the undergraduates; and in two 
cases it surpasses that average (Table 1). When it is considered 
that the standing of one or two irregular or unfaithful members 
of a team may reduce the average considerably, this record is 
more than creditable. It is worthy of mention that the most 
athletic Seniors in the classes of 1885-86 and 1886-87 included 
one man who received honors, nine who received honorable 
mention, and twelve who were entitled to write Commencement 
parts (Tables 3 and 5). The record of the Freshmen teams is, 



23 

with few exceptions, lower than the average of their class by 
from six to eight per cent (Tables 2 and 4). Table 6 exhibits 
the College rank of men who are distinctly not interested in 
athletics. The average of the fourteen men in College who 
admit that they take no exercise is at least eight per cent lower 
than the average of the College, and is lower than that of any 
University team. The thirty-four men who did not answer the 
circular of the Committee are about on the same level as the 
poorest Freshman teams, and are considerably exceeded by 
the best Freshman teams. The average of those men who 
attend no intercollegiate games is slightly above the average of 
their classes, but is still unequal to that of the athletic Seniors 
shown in Tables 3 and 5. That the scholarship of the College 
has not seriously suffered from the growth of athletics is further 
shown by the steady rise in the average standing of the gradu- 
ating classes during the past eleven years (Table 7) ; while new 
sports have been added, and the number of participants has 
largely increased, the average standing has risen from 67i per 
cent to 73 per cent. At the same time, the use of the Library 
— a fair test of intellectual activity — has constantly increased. 
It seems demonstrated beyond a doubt that participation in 
athletics lowers neither the standing of those who take part 
(except Freshmen) nor the general standing of the College. 
The deficiency in the College rank and attendance of Freshman 
teams (Tables 2, 4, and 9) points to a serious defect in the 
athletic system, and calls for immediate attention. 

It is still conceivable that, without disturbing the attendance 
or the collegiate rank of students, athletics may yet prevent the 
formation of a university spirit. It is sometimes urged that 
athletic contests sharpen the rivalry between classes, and lead 
to an unfriendly attitude towards other colleges. In the opinion 
of the Committee the tendency is rather in the other direction. 
Athletic contests break up existing groups and give a community 
of interests to the large body of the students. 

3. The third great criticism passed upon athletic contests is 
that they have a bad moral effect upon participants and specta- 
tors ; that severe training is followed by dissipation ; that tricky 
and even dishonest play is permitted ; that ungentlemanly behav- 
ior and disputes are common on the field ; and that in some cases 
men are attracted to a college by the hope of direct or indirect 



24 

pecuniary advantage from their skill in athletics. Upon these 
points no statistics are possible. Your Committee are satisfied 
that athletic sports have in the main a good moral influence upon 
those who take part in them. (See Table 35.) On the other 
hand, the Committee observe with regret an occasional willingness 
to take unfair or ungenerous advantage of opponents. The coach- 
ing in important games of base ball is in some cases offensive, 
and would not be tolerated on the professional field. Almost 
every year there are rumors that teams accept players whose con- 
nexion with the University is but nominal. It is not apparent 
that playing with professional teams or training by professional 
coaches would increase these evils. On the other hand, there 
is no sufficient evidence that practice with professionals or pro- 
fessional training would greatly increase the chances of victory. 
(See Table 13.) The great difficulty with athletic contests, in 
and out of College, is the passionate desire to win. It leads 
men to strain the rules of the sport and sometimes to break 
them, and to bring accusations of bad faith against opponents 
or referees. This desire to win is stimulated in some degree 
by the presence of large numbers of spectators ; and it is stimu- 
lated to an undesirable degree in games played in large cities 
away from the home of either of the contesting teams. 

Exception is frequently taken to particular sports, — to all 
sports which oblige contestants to lay hands upon each other, 
especially to foot ball, sparring, and wrestling ; and also to the 
tug-of-war, which is a direct trial of strength between two teams. 
It will be seen by a comparison of Tables 15 and 20 that the num- 
ber of students interested in these sports is considerable : 83 men 
play foot ball on University or Class teams, and about 50 more 
engage in it as a pastime ; sparring furnishes 28 competitors and 
38 others who exercise without expecting to compete. At least 
27 men engage in wrestling, and 64 in the tug-of-war. Under 
the rules of foot ball as now reformed, it is believed that the 
character of the game is likely be greatly improved. The exclu- 
sion of sparring and wrestling from the meetings of the Athletic 
Association would raise these contests in the estimation of many 
spectators and friends of the College. In view of the fact that 
men engaged in the tug-of-war complain of the severe strain, 
that sport needs to be investigated. 

The moral effect of athletics upon spectators and non-partici- 



25 

pants is in the main favorable ; but the Committee recognize 
some evils which ought to be corrected. Successful athletes are 
not all men of high character, and do not always set the best 
example to their admirers. The management of some of the 
sports has been loose and extravagant. Your Committee have 
attempted without complete success to discover the precise 
amount raised and expended for the support of athletics. 

In Table 30 is shown the amount which students yearly con- 
tribute, the total being about $15,000. This sum probably in- 
cludes in many cases personal expenses connected with athletics. 
It is probable that about 110,000 in addition is raised indirectly 
from students, alumni, and friends. In the opinion of the 
Committee this is not an unreasonable amount, provided the 
money be economically spent. One of the most encouraging 
features in the athletics of the College is the voluntary forma- 
tion of the Auditing Committee, whose function is to examine 
and adjust the accounts of the principal athletic organizations 
in the University. Table 30 further shows that about 400 stu- 
dents directly contribute less than $10 each ; and more than 
250 contribute nothing. It is therefore evident that the burden 
of expense falls upon those best able to afford it. Another re- 
grettable feature in athletics is the betting upon athletic con- 
tests, class and intercollegiate. The Committee believe that this 
evil is not peculiar to any college, but is an evidence of a vice 
which is wide-spread throughout the country among young men 
of means. They believe that it is found in the College chiefly 
among a small number of students ; and they are satisfied that the 
evil is not to be eradicated by the prohibition of intercollegiate 
athletics. Another evil is doubtless the disproportionate space 
which is occupied by athletics in the conversation and thoughts of 
the students. This again is not peculiar to the College, but is a 
part of a very widely diffused interest in sports, especially in the 
sport of base ball. The Committee see no sufficient ground 
for believing that athletic contests create an unfriendly spirit 
between students of different colleges. 

An indirect effect of athletic contests is the noisy celebrations 
of victories. While meant to be only a boyish jubilation, tliey 
have become a disturbance to the people of Cambridge, an un- 
necessary breach of good order, and a danger to College property. 
The Committee believe that it is in the power of the members 



26 

and managers of teams to prevent any harmful celebration, and 
that they are now using their influence to secure this result. 

Of the various abuses alleged to exist in College athletics, the 
Committee believe that a large number do not in fact exist. 
There are many cases of individual excess ; but in general they 
find no evidence that the number of participants or of specta- 
tors is too large, that exercise is discouraged, that there is an 
excessive danger of accidents, or that excessive time is spent in 
practice, in playing games, or in attendance upon games. Tliey 
fail to discover an unfavorable effect of athletics upon the at- 
tendance or the scholarship of the College, or a serious diversion 
from the idea of a University ; nor do they believe the time and 
money spent upon athletics an unprofitable investment. On the 
other hand, the Committee feel compelled to believe that there 
is more or less ground for criticising the expensive management 
of athletic sports ; the effect of training and of athletic contests 
upon Freshmen ; the betting which accompanies some games ; the 
character of some of the sports ; the time expended in discus- 
sing unimportant matters relating to athletics; and, finally,. the 
traces of a professional spirit and the desire to win at any cost, 
leading in some cases to doubtful or ungentlemanly behavior. 
The Committee are further inclined to doubt the expediency of 
permitting games in non-collegiate places ; and they deprecate 
the boyish celebrations of victories. 

III. The third subject for investigation has been the connex- 
ion of intercollegiate games with abuses acknowledged to exist. 
From the nature of these evils, the Committee is satisfied that 
few would be removed by the prohibition of intercollegiate con- 
tests, and that many advantages would be lost. They advocate 
a continuance of the system of regulation. The policy of , the 
University for many years has been to permit its students to 
enjoy any amusement not shown to be immoral or hurtful, or to 
interfere with College work. But this freedom does not neces- 
sarily extend to organizations which bear the name of the Col- 
lege and are composed of students of the College. All such 
organizations have been, and ought to be, subject to regulation ; 
because they represent the University before the public. The 
Harvard Glee Club and the societies which give theatricals are 
not allowed to give entertainments out of Cambridge without 
the permission of a Committee of the Faculty. There are still 



27 ^ 

stronger reasons for the regulation of intercollegiate contests : 
thej are played under stress of competition and in the presence 
of large assemblages. 

Intercollegiate contests somewhat increase the expense of 
athletics ; but unless University teams were altogether aban- 
doned, the mere prohibition of intercollegiate contests would not 
greatly reduce the general expense. The gate-money from these 
games at present furnishes a considerable revenue, which re- 
lieves the students from subscriptions. Of the sports most criti- 
cised, only two, foot ball and the tug-of-war, are intercollegiate ; 
and in both these sports the spirit of participants and specta- 
tors is no worse in intercollegiate than in class contests. In 
like manner, the evil of betting neither arises out of intercol- 
legiate contests nor is confined to them. It appears to the Com- 
mittee that the Freshman intercollegiate contests are of doubtful 
advantage. But in view of the fact that these contests stimulate 
the formation of class teams and bring forward athletic men 
who later enter University teams, the Committee are unwilling 
to recommend total prohibition. They consider, however, that it 
is very desirable that a more stringent supervision be exercised 
over Freshman contests by the captains of the University teams 
and by the Committee on Athletics. 

The most serious charge brought against intercollegiate con- 
tests is that they are played in a professional spirit and with an 
excessive desire to win. These evils, so far as they exist, are 
deprecated by the great body of students. The Committee find 
no case in which visiting teams have been hissed or otherwise ill 
used ; but applause undeservedly bestowed upon the home team 
has, to the knowledge of the Committee, been greeted with hisses. 
Fully alive to the evils which are connected with athletic affairs, 
the Committee are of opinion that intercollegiate contests stimu- 
late athletics, stimulate general exercise, and thus favorably affect 
the health and the moral tone of the University. The evils are 
not inherent in the contests ; they may be greatly lessened, and 
are lessened, first, by the students themselves, secondly, by suit- 
able regulation. This regulation should be exercised by a body 
similar in constitution to the present Committee on Athletics, 
but enlarged and endowed with greater authority. 

IV. In conclusion, your Committee respectfully submit the 
followinor recommendations : — 



28 

1. Your Committee believe that the grounds now set apart for 
exercise are entirely inadequate to the needs of the University ; 
and they fear that, with the growth of the University and the 
consequent erection of new buildings, these grounds will be 
encroaclied upon, and the space now available will be rapidly 
reduced. They therefore recommend that steps be immediately 
taken to ascertain whether the land on the south side of the 
Charles River, already in the possession of the University, can 
at a reasonable expense be put in a condition to supply this 
need. If this can be done, they recommend that a vigorous 
effort be made to secure the money needed ; but if after a thor- 
ough examination it appears that the improvement of the land 
would be too expensive, they recommend that an effort be made 
to secure at least twenty acres of land within a moderate dis- 
tance of the College. 

2. Your Committee believe that the Hemenway Gymnasium, 
which when it was built was the largest and best in America, 
if not in the world, is now overcrowded. They recommend 
the immediate erection of a building, connected with the pres- 
ent Gymnasium, but not a part of it, to contain the. bath- 
rooms, the dressing-rooms and lockers, and a swimming-bath. 
They believe that much of the existing complaint against the 
bathing facilities, the ventilation, and the crowded condition of 
the Gymnasium, would be met by providing such a building. 
These two needs — that of larger play-grounds, and that of the 
improvement and extension of the Gymnasium — appear to your 
Committee to be most pressing, as they involve the cleanli- 
ness, health, and general well-being of the students ; and your 
Committee have no doubt that when they are clearly and vig- 
orously stated there will be no lack of money to provide for 
them. 

And finally, your Committee recommend a change in the 
constitution, powers, and responsibilities of the Athletic Com- 
mittee : — 

3 a. As to its constitution, they recommend that it shall con- 
sist of : three graduates of the College, one of whom shall be a 
member of the Board of Overseers, and one of whom shall 
generally but not necessarily be a physician ; of three members 
of the Academic Council, — these six members to be appointed 
by the Corporation ; and of three undergraduates, who shall be 



29 

chosen during the first week of the College 3^ear by the majority 
vote of the following students ; namely, the presidents of the 
Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes and a representative from 
each of the following athletic organizations, — the Boat Club, 
the Cricket Club, and the Athletic, Base Ball, Foot Ball, Lacrosse, 
and Tennis associations, these students to be called together 
for the purpose of making this choice by the President of the 
University. 

3 h. As to its powers, your Committee recommend tliat this 
Committee shall have full powers to control all matters relat- 
ing to athletics and athletic contests in all departments of the 
University. 

3 c. As to its responsibilities, your Committee recommend that 
this Committee shall exist by the authority of the Corporation, 
and shall be responsible to that body alone, to whom, they shall 
make two written reports each year. 

3 d. Your Committee suggest that this Committee, so consti- 
tuted and appointed, shall hold office for one year, beginning at 
the opening of the academic year. 

JOHN WILLIAMS WHITE. 

W. S. CHAPLIN. 

ALBERT BUSHNELL HART. 



APPENDIX. 



STATISTICS OF ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL 
EXERCISE IN HARVARD COLLEGE. 

June, 1888. 



COLLEGE RANK OF ATHLETIC MEN AND MEN NOT 
INTERESTED IN ATHLETICS. 



1. College Rank of the University Teams in 1885-86. 



Mott 
Haven. 



Average percentage of the four College classes 

Number of men engaged 

Average peivientage 

Highest mark received 

Lowest " " 

Number that rec'd above 90% 

" 80% but not above 90% 

u u a a 7Q^^ .. a » 80^^ 

u u u u eo% " " " 70% 

" " " less than 40% 



72+ 
9 
69+ ■ 

78+% 
60+% 



72+ 

10 

74-|i.v 

92+% 

64+% 

1 

1 

4 

4 



72+ 



88+% 
64+% 



72 + 

28 

72+ 

91+% 

36+% 

2 

6 

9 
10 

1 



Note. — Since the records of Special students at the College office are incom- 
plete, only regular members of the four College classes are taken into account in 
the above estimates. This remark applies also to Tables 2, 4, and 7. Substitutes 
are included in estimating the number of men in the teams. There was no Uni- 
versity Foot Ball Team in 1885-86. 

[31] 



32 



2. College Rank of the Freshmen Teams in 1885-86. 



' 


Crew. 


Nine. 


Lacrosse. 


Average percentage of tlie 239 members of 


the class 


69 + 

7 
61+ 

73+% 

43+% 

2 
3 

2 


69+ 

8 
61+ 

85+% 
39+% 

1 

1 

2 

3 

1 


69+ 


Number of men engaged 

Average percentage of men engaged 


8 
67+ 




89% 
52% 

1 

2 

3 

2 


liOwest " " 


Number that received above 80% 

" " " " 70% but not above 80% . 

u 60% ^' " " 70% . 
" - - - 50% " " - 60% . 

" 40% " " " 50% . 
less than 40% 



Note. — No Freshman Intercollegiate Games of Foot Ball were played in 
1885-86. Only members of the Freshman Class of the College are taken into 
account, but the count includes substitutes. 



3. College Rank of Seniors in the University Nine, and in the 
Lacrosse and Mott Haven Teams, in 1885-86. 

Average percentage of the 223 members of the class who completed , 

the College year 76 

Number of men engaged 16 

Average percentage of men- engaged 74+ 

Highest mark received 92+% 

Lowest mark received 60% 

Number that received above 90% 1 

80% but not above 90% 3 

" 70% " " 80% 8 

'' 60% " " 70% 4 

" " " honorable mention 4 

" '* " Commencement parts 5 

Note. — There were no Seniors in the 1886 crew ; and there was no University 
Foot Ball Team in that year. 



33 



4. College Rank of the Freshman Teams in 1886-87. 





A. 


B. 


C. 


D. 


E. 


Or, calculated 

in 
percentage?, 


Average mark of the 270 mem- 














bers of the class who completed 














the College year 


.70 


1.40 


1.55 


1.25 


.50 


68-f- 


Average mark of Crew (11 men) 


.88 


1.38 


1.3.3 


1.05 


.76 


67+ 


Average mark of Nine (10 men) 


.74 


.611 


1.501 


1.G5 


.89 


62-h 


Average mark of Foot Ball Team 














(10 men) 


.02 


1.00 


1.86 


1.70 


.82 


60 


Average mark of Lacrosse Team 














(11 men) 


.51 


1.56 


2 20 


1.04 


.09 


71+ 



Note. — Only members of the Freshman Class of the College are taken into 
accomit, but the count includes substitutes. The College began in 1886-87 to mark 
the rank of all students (except Seniors of that year) by letters and not by percent- 
ages, A indicating the highest rank. The table shows the proportion of letters 
received out of a total of 5.4, the number of courses required of each Freshman. 
The last column converts this mark by letters into a percentage according to a scale 
of values for the letters used on occasion at the College office. 



5. College Rank of Seniors in the University Crew and Nine, 
and in the Foot Ball, Lacrosse, and Mott Haven Teams, 
in 1886-87. 

Average percentage of the 286 members of the class who com- 
pleted the College year 76+ 

Number of men engaged 21 

Average percentage of men engaged 75+ 

Highest mark received 88+% 

Lowest mark received 65% 

Number that received above 80% 5 

70% but not above 80% 11 

" 65% " " 70% 5 

" " " honors 1 

" " " honorable mention 5 

" •• " Commencement parts 7 , 

3 



34 



6. College Rank of Men not interested in 


Athletics (1887-88). 




A. 


B. 


c. 


D. 


E. 


Or, calculated 

in 
percentages, 


ATerage 
courses 
reported. 


All men who set themselves 
down in answer to the cir- 
cular as taking no exer- 
cise (16 — 2 = 14) . . 

All men in Cambridge, not 
ill, who made no answer 
to the inquiries of the 
Committee (34) .... 


.36 
.34 


.78 

.35 

.98 


1.05 

1.24 

.82 


.81 

.94 

.29 


.21 

.49 
.26 


67.8% 

64.1% 
74.9% 


3.22 
3 36 


Men who attended no In- 
tercollegiate contests in 
Cambridge (44) . . . 


.74 


3.10 



Note. — Of the sixteen men in College who informed the Committee that they 
took no exercise, the records of two could not be traced. It seemed reasonable to 
assume that the thirty-four students who had made no reply to three successive 
requests of the Committee, were not seriously interested in the subject. The third 
column is made up of all the men who in their answers to Question 10 declare 
positively that they have attended no Intercollegiate contest in Cambridge during 
the year. About 26 others have left the question 'unanswered. These tables are 
calculated from the incomplete records for the present year ; but the average is 
probably almost exactly the same as though the whole year were included. See 
note to Table 10. 

7. General Average, etc., for 11 Classes (1877-87). 





Number 




Per cent of class 




of Candidates 


Average percent- 


drawing books 




for 


age for four years. 


from library in 




A. B. degree. 




Senior year. 


Class of 1875 






71 




' 1876 










' 1877 


iei 


67.4 






' 1878 ....... 


138 


67.6 






• 1879 


174 


68 






' 1880 


158 


68.7 


88 




' 1881 


173 


69.6 






' 1882 


163 


70.3 






' 1883 


183 


72.5 






' 1884 


195 


73.7 


90 




' 1885 


186 


74.5 


90 




' 1886 


228 


73 


92 




' 1887 


229 


73 


96 



Note.— Statistics as to the use of the Library for 1876-79 and 1881-1883 were 
not attainable in time for publication. The number of Seniors for the years 1886 
and 1887 does not precisely agree with the numbers of those who completed the 
College year as stated in Tables 3 and 5, because degrees are in some cases 
withheld from Seniors and granted to those who have been in the College but 
three years. 



35 



ATTENDANCE OF ATHLETIC MEN AND OF MEN NOT INTERESTED 
IN ATHLETICS. 

Tables of Absences from College Exercises for the entire 
College Year. 

8. Attendance of the University Teams in 1886-87. 







a 
2 


u 


if 


II 


1 


.2 

a 


I. Number of men engaged 

II. Number whose absences exceeded the av- 
erage absence of their class .... 

III. Number whose absences were less than 

the average absence of their class . . 

IV. Excess of average number of absences of 

the men engaged above the average of 


11 
6 
5 

5+ 


10 
5 
5 

5+ 


14 
9 
5 

8+ 


13 
4 
9 

6+ 


32 
15 
17 

1+ 


16 
10 


5+ 


8 
6 
2 

7 


V. Excess of average number of absences of 
their class above average number of 
absences of men enfaged 















Note. — Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores have each about 360 exercises in 
the course of a year; Freshmen about 510. Only members of the four College 
classes and special students in the College are included in the above estimate. 
The count includes teams and substitutes, all those who actually competed at Mott 
Haven, and the leading players in the autumn and spring Tennis Tournaments. 



9. Attendance of the Freshmen Teams in 1886-87. 





Crew. 


Nine. 


Foot 
ball. 


La- 

crosse. 


I. Number of men engaged 

II. Number whose absence exceeded the average 
absence of their class 


13 
6 

7 


12 
6 
6 

8+ 


13 
11 

2 

23+ 


13 
1 


HI. Number whose absence was less than the av- 
erage absence of their class 

IV. Excess of average number of absences of the 
men engaged above the average of their 
class 


12 


V. Excess of average number of absences of their 
class above average number of absences of 
men engaged 


H- 


18+ 



Note. — Freshmen have each about 510 exercises in the course of a year. Spe- 
cial students are included in the above estimate. The count includes teams and 
substitutes. 



36 



10. Attendance of Men not interested in Athletics in 1887-88. 



Men who are 

not sufficiently 

interested to 

reply to the 

circular. 



Men 

who take 
no exercise. 



Men who 

attended no 

Intercollegiate 

contests 
in Cambridge. 



I. Number of men concerned . . 

II. Number whose absence exceeded 

the average absence of their 

class 

III. Number whose absence was less 

than the average absence of 
their class 

IV. Excess of average number of 

absences of the men concerned 
above the average of their 

class 

V. Excess of average number of 
absences of their class above 
average number of absences 
of men concerned .... 



34 
19 
15 

20 



14 



16 



44 

11 
33 



15 



Note. — So many of the men concerned are Freshmen and Special students that 
only the year 1887-88 could be taken into account. The records on this point are, 
however, nearly complete for the year. The persons concerned are the same 
as in Table 6. 

USE OF THE GYMNASIUM. 

Furnished by the Director of the Gymnasium. 

11. Statistics of Students Examined, Strength, etc. June, 1887. 











^. 


N 


« 


§ 






.2 

h 

To 


1 
1 

1 




11 

as 


! 
1 


i 
1 


n 


1 

1 




go 


s 


^ 


^ 






02 


o 


Seniors 


239 


196 


.82 


19 


30 


50 


164 


43 


Juniors . 


238 
224 


180 
177 


.76 

.79 


24 
26 


33 
13 


41 

27 


133 

128 


58 


Sophomores 


47 


Freshmen 


280 


211 


.75 


48 


16 


24 


143 


69 


Specials 


96 


60 


.63 


14 


2 


3 


41 


36 


Total 


1077 


824 


.76 


126 


94 


145 


609 


253 



Note. — The Gymnasium is also used by large numbers of students of the Law, 
Divinity, Medical, and Scientific Schools, and also by graduate students, who are 
not included in the above table. 675.2 was the highest number of points, according 
to the standard of the Director of the Hemenway Gymnasium, gained by any man 
in College in 1879-80. 632.2 was the average of the ten strongest men in College 
in that year. 



37 



12. Lockers in the Gymnasium (1880-88). 



1-81 Original number 474 

881-82 691 

882-83 809 

883-84 837 

884-85 901 

886-86 937 

.886-87 937 

-88 1056 



Note. — These lockers are practically all in use, and in some cases two stu- 
dents occupy one. Lockers are in many cases held by students in professional 
schools. 



STATISTICS OF ATHLETIC CONTESTS AND CONTESTANTS. 



13. Statistics of Base Ball Games played by the University 
Nines (1880-87). 

{Furnished by the Director of the Gymnasium.) 







^ 


^ 


.d 








m 




i 


II 


13 Ij 


% . 


U 


5 


t 


i 


Year. 


a 




II 
It 


1=3 


^ 1 

i ^ 


si 
il 

ii 


.21 


i 




o 


o 


d3 


o 


o 


C3 


o 


CU 


1880 


28 




3 


25 




11 


4 


44 


1881 


23 


11 


4 


19 




14 


2 
(tie with 
Princeton.) 


73 


1882 


28 


19 


11 


17 


1 


12 


3 


70 


1888 


31 


11 




31 




12 


4 


39 


1884 


26 


8 




26 




18 


2 


69 


1885 


27 


5 




27 




26 


1 
(10-0) 


96 


1886 


30 


8 




30 




25 


2 


83 


1887 


21 


7 




21 




14 


2 


m 



38 



14. Athletic Contests in 1886-87. 







Intercollegiate 


Contests be- 


Contests with 


•o 




's. 






Contests. 


tween Students. 


Amateurs. 




o >, 


s°>. 




si 
















S^ 


"sl 




11 


In 


Not in 


In 


Not in 


In 


Not in 


is 


■2 = 


^p-1 




^ '^ 


Cam- 


Cam- 


Cam- 


Cam- 


Cam- 


Cam- 


a 


Oyi 


§«^ 






bridge. 


bridge. 


bridge. 


bridge. 


bridge. 


bridge. 


o 


Athletic Association 


8 




1 


7 








1 


6 




Base ball .... 


21 


io 


7 






4 




7 


8 


3 


Boating 




4 




2 


2 








2 


1 


1 


Foot ball 




14 


8 


5 






i 




5 


7 


2 


Lacrosse 




11 


2 


1 






6 


2 


3 


4 


3 


Tennis 




3 




1 


2 








1 






Cricket 




4 












4 


4 


4 




Shooting 




6 


i 


i 






4 




1 


3 


1 


Freshman Base ball 


14 


3 


3 


5 




1 


2 


5 


8 


1 


" Boating 


2 




1 


1 








1 




1 


Foot ball 


4 




4 










4 


2 


2 


" Lacrosse 


8 






1 




2 










Total . . . 


94 


24 


26 


18 




18 


8 


84 


48 


14 



15. Competitors in various Sports in 1887-88. 





'88 


'89 


'90 


'91 


1 


1 




'88 


'89 


'90 


'91 


1 


3 
g 


Base ball . . 
Bicycling 
Boating . . 
Broad Jump 
Canoeing . . 
Club Swinging 
Cricket . . 
Fence Vault 
Fencing . . 
Foot ball . . 
Hammer . . 
High Jump . 
High Kick . 
Horizontal Bar 
Hurdles . . 
Lacrosse . . 


18 
11 
19 
6 
2 

'4 

9 

23 
4 
12 

1 
1 
3 
4 

•• 


18 
8 

15 
2 
4 

4 
3 

15 

4 

*2 
1 
6 


32 
9 

20 
6 

1 

'9 
11 

1 
19 

3 
15 

i 

5 


34 

7 

18 
5 
4 

*i 

20 
3 

16 
3 

23 
3 
2 
2 

20 


9 
3 
8 

'i 
3 

io 

'2 

4 


111 

38 

80 

19 

11 

1 

21 

43 

4 

83 

10 

56 

7 

7 

9 

39 

539 


Brought Fo 
Parallel" Bars 
Pole Vault . 
Polo. . . 
Eope Climbin 
Running . 
Shooting . 
Shot . . . 
Sparring . 
Spring Board 
Swinging Rin 
Tennis . . 
Tug-of-war 
Tumbling . 
Walking . 
Wrestling . 


rward 
g • 

Leap 

?s. 


'4 

1 
3 
2 

26 

11 
4 

10 
3 
3 
9 

18 
2 

'4 


'3 
1 
1 
1 
12 
10 

*6 

8 
2 
9 

16 
3 
3 
5 


'2 
5 
2 
1 

21 
9 
6 
3 
3 
1 

12 

12 
2 
2 
7 


*i 

2 

*2 
36 
5 
5 
7 
5 
2 

13 
17 
8 
6 
10 


'2 

'2 

2 
1 
1 
1 
2 

'i 


539 

10 

9 

6 

6 

95 

37 

15 

28 

16 

9 

44 

64 

17 

11 

27 


Total . 


Total . . . 












989 



Deduct names counted more than once 522 

Total number of individual participants ' 417 



Note. — This table includes only those who either participated in the sports 
named in actual competition, or at least trained with the intention of entering com- 
petitions. It enumerates therefore the experts in the different sports. It was 
made up from lists of names carefully prepared either by the authorities of the 
Gymnasium or by men prominent in the various athletic organizations. 



39 



STATEMENTS OF STUDENTS OF HARVARD COLLEGE IN REGARD 
TO ATHLETICS. 

16. List of Questions (May 22, 1888). 

The following list of questions was sent by the Committee 
to all students of Harvard College ; that is, to the four College 
classes and to special students. It was not sent to members of 
the professional schools. 

1. In what forms do j'ou usually take ph3'slcal exercise ? [Include 
an}' form of indoor or outdoor exercise.] 

2. Does 3'our regular exercise extend over the entire College j^ear? 
If not, during what seasons do you take it? 

3. How mau}^ hours dail3% upon the average, do 3'ou devote to exer- 
cise, and during how man}' weeks of the yeajr? 

4. Have you had an3^ physical examinations by the Director of the 
G3'mnasium ; if so, how man3'? 

5. Have you been unable to avail yourself of the apparatus in the 
Gymnasium, after waiting a reasonable time, because it has been in 
constant use b3' regular teams ? 

6. Have 3'ou been unable to use the pla3'-grounds of the College 
because they were occupied b3^ regular teams for their practice ? 

7. To what College athletic organizations do 3'ou belong or have 
3^ou belonged? [Mention teams, clubs, associations, etc.] 

8. Have 3'Ou received any personal injuries while exercising, or in 
any athletic contest? [Give particulars of time, place, nature, and 
seriousness of the injur3^] 

9. What sum, in the aggregate, do you 3'earl3' contribute for the 
support of College athletics in all forms? [Omit mone3' paid for 
tickets to games.] 

10. How man3^ intercollegiate athletic contests, occurring in Cam- 
bridge, have 3^ou attended since Ma3^ 22, 1887? 

11. How many other athletic contests, occurring in Cambridge, 
have 3'ou attended since Ma}' 22, 1887? [Include all regular class 
and College games, "meetings" of the Athletic Association, and 
other formal contests.] 

12. How man3^ intercollegiate contests, occurring outside of Cam- 
bridge, have 3'Ou attended since May 22, 1887? 

13. How many College exercises have 3'ou missed in consequence of 
such absence from Cambridge? 



40 

14. State on the back of this sheet any further facts or opinions, 
relating to the effect of athletics upon j^ourself and upon the College, 
which you think will be useful to the Committee in forming their 
judgment. 

17. Value of the Results. 

The following tables cannot, in the nature of things, be 
mathematically exact. Some of the facts which the Committee 
wish to bring out can be stated only in general terms, — as, for 
example, the total time spent in exercise during a year. Some 
students have included details omitted by others ; thus members 
of some of the teams have included those teams among " athletic 
organizations," and others have omitted them. A certain al- 
lowance must be made for the natural tendency to put things 
in the most favorable light. The Committee have, however, been 
greatly impressed with the sincerity and candor of the answers ; 
and the striking confirmation of those results which can be com- 
pared with other sources of information justifies the belief that 
the general results are trustworthy, and that the averages are 
very nearly correct. All calculations have been twice verified ; 
but some slight discrepancies of numbers have arisen out of 
indefinite answers, or out of unimportant errors of tabulation. 
The answers are so recorded that the Committee can at any 
time refer to cases which may need further explanation ; but 
no particulars involving a student's name can be furnished with- 
out his consent. 

18. Number of Replies to the Circular of Questions. 

Answers received (95.4%) . 1031 

Tabulated 1021 

Received too late for tabulation 10 

Students ill, absent, or resident out of Cambridge ... 16 

Students who have neglected to answer (3.15%) ... 34 

1081 

This total agrees within three or four with the oflSce record 
of men now in College ; in a few cases duplicates have crept in, 
or members of professional schools have answered by mistake. 
In a few cases the answer has been simply that the student does 
not care to make any statement. 



41 



19. Number of Forms of Physical Exercise. (Question 1.) 



No exercise taken .... 


. . 16 


Exercise in 1 form only . . 


. . 113 


" " 2 forms . . . 


. . 253 


" 3 " ... 


. . 246 


" 4 " ... 


. . 227 


" 5 " ... 


. . 103 


" 6 " ... 


. . 45 



Exercise in 7 forms .... 11 

" 8 " 6 

" 9 " 1 

Total reporting 1021 

Average number of forms of 
exercise taken by each 

student 3.1 



Infrequent sports are in many cases included, and sports 
practised only in summer have sometimes crept in. The num- 
ber of those who take a large number of sports is therefore 
somewhat too great in this table. An analysis of the College 
rank and attendance of the sixteen students who take no exer- 
cise will be found in Tables 6, 10. 



20. Kinds of Physical Exercise taken 


(Question 1.) 






The only 
form of 
exercise. 


One of 
several 
forms. 


Total 

number 

taking 

this form. 


Base ball 


4 

1 
1 





19 






1 

2 
5 



1 

8 

79 


297 
83 
13 
22 
9 
39 
7 

185 

591 

15 

51 

5 

3 

3 

92 

69 

174 

111 
22 
33 
65 
29 

690 
25 

556 


301 


Bicycling (and tricycling) 

Bowling. 


84 
14 


Canoeing 


22 


Coasting 


9 


Cricket 


39 


Driving .... . 


7 


Football 


185 


Gymnasium exercise 


610 


Hand ball 


15 


Eacrosse 


51 


Out-of-door work (care of horses, grounds, etc.) . . . 
Polo 


5 

3 


Respiration (elocutionary gymnastics) 

Kiding 


3 

93 


Room exercises (cahsthenics, clubs, dumb-bells, etc.) . 


71 
179 


Running 


111 


Shooting 


22 


Skatintr 


33 


Sparring 


66 


Swimming . 


29 


Tennis 


598 


Track Athletics 


25 


Walking 


635 







42 

The sports engaged in during the College term, and during 
the summer, are not separated in the answers. The number of 
those who use canoes, ride, row, and swim is therefore somewhat 
too great ; the number of tennis players is also slightly increased. 
Training for track athletics has often been included under 
gymnasium exercise or running. On the other hand many men 
have not mentioned such winter sports as coasting and skating ; 
and few have entered their outdoor work as exercise. In many 
cases a sport is set down in which the student engages very 
infrequently. But it is believed that the table shows the pro- 
portionate attention paid to the leading sports. The number 
of students who have included gymnasium exercise as one of 
their regular forms of exercise is undoubtedly much smaller 
than the number of men who use the Gymnasium. Such sports 
as bowling, hand ball, running, and track athletics, are depend- 
ent upon the Gymnasium. All the regular teams in foot ball, 
base ball, and rowing take a part of their training in the Gym- 
nasium ; many men have not set do^n gymnasium exercise 
as separate from rowing, base ball, etc. Another large class 
of men use the Gymnasium for bathing, or for putting on 
exercising suits. In Table 12 will be found a statement of the 
number of lockers in use. 



21. Seasons of Exercise. (Question 2.) 

No regular exercise reported 66 

Irregular 65 

Uncertain 121 

Exercise in the autumn only 9 

" " winter " 67 

" " spring " 23 

One season only 99 

Exercise in autumn and winter only 25 

■ " autumn and spring only 142 

" winter and spring only 55 

Two seasons only 222 

Exercise during the whole College year 569 

Total reporting 101 1 

So far as it could be separated, no account has been taken of 
exercise during vacations. Many students report that they 
spend a considerable part of the summer in the open air ; this 



43 

applies to a number of students who report no exercise during 
the winter. The distances between dormitories and lodging- 
houses, boarding-places and recitation-rooms, compel all the 
students to spend a number of minutes in the open air every 
da}^, in all weathers. 



22. Hours per day Devoted to Exercise during Season of 
Exercise. (Question 3.) 

None 10 

Do not know 70 

Irregular 58 

Indeterminate lo8 

^ hour 1 

i " 2 

i " 2 

h " 25 

f " _25 

Less than 1 hour 55 

1 " 222 

li " 21 

li " 203 

If " _5 

1 to If hours 451 

2 " . .■ 269 

2i " 52 

3 " J^ 

2 to 3 hours 350 

3i " 7 

4 " 7 

4| " 2 

5 " 1 

6 " 1 

10? " _l 

More than 3 hours 19 

Total reporting 1013 

Total giving definite answers 885 

Average hours per day, during the .season of ex- 
ercise, for those giving definite answers . . . 1.65-1- 

Except in the case of those in regular training, or of very 

systematic habits, it is difficult to give an exact statement of the 

time spent in exercise. Many answers are plainly guesses. 
The table, however, shows with sufficient accuracy the number 

who exercise a little, moderately, much, and a great deal. The 
average is not far from correct. 



44 



23. Number of Weeks of Exercise per Year. (Question 3.) 

Exercise during 4 weeks only 1 

"8 " 11 

"10 " 14 

About one fourth of College year 26 

Exercise during 12 weeks only . 20 

''15 " 17 

"16 " 15 

"18 " 14 

One fourth to one half of College year ... 66 

Exercise during 20 weeks only 55 

"24 " 39 

"25 " 12 

"27 " 16 

One half to three fourths of College year . . 122 

Exercise during 30 weeks only 68 

"32 " 7 

"34 " 1 

" " College year 568 

Nearly the whole College year 644 

Total reporting 858 

Average number of weeks during which students exercise, 31.16. 

This table is only approximate ; the College year, leaving out 
vacations, is placed at thirty-six weeks. Some students sus- 
pend regular exercise during the examination periods, about 
five weeks altogether. 



24. Total Number of Hours of Exercise per Year. (Question 3.) 

6 hours a year 1 

86 hours a year _. . . 2 

1 hour a week or less 3 

48 hours a year 4 

60 " " 7 

72 " " 10 

1 to 2 hours a week 21 

90 hours a year 12 

96 " " 7 

108 " " 27 

2 to 3 hours a week 46 

120 hours a year 19 

150 " " . , 21 

162 " " 23 

180 " " 48 

3 to 5 hours a week Ill 



45 

192 hours a year 7 

216 " " 169 

240 " " 32 

270 " '' 39 

300 " " : . 20 

324 " " 125 

5 to 9 hours a week 382 

360 hours a year 37 

384 " " 7 

432 " " U)0 

9 to 12 hours a week 234 

480 hours a year 41 

648 " " 11 

750 " " 4 

840 " " 5 

960 '* " 1 

More than 12 hours a week 62 

Total reporting 859 

Average, 299 hours per year. 

Average, 1.39 hours per day for the whole year. 

Assuming that the usual number of days of exercise per 
week is six among those who exercise regularly, the above table 
shows approximately the hours spent in exercise during the 
College year. If the time spent in going to and from meals 
and recitations were added, the average would be increased by 
perhaps one half-hour daily. 

25. Examinations of Students now in College by the Director of 
the Gymnasium up to June, 1888. (Question 4. ") 

No examination : Seniors 49 

" " Juniors 31 

" " Sophomores .... 46 

" " Freshmen 64 

" " Specials 26 

Total 216 

Per cent not examined, 21.6. 

1 examination 411 

2 examinations 176 

3 " 96 

4 " 39 

5 « 24 

6 " 10 

7 " 9 

8 " 7 

9 " 4 

10 " 5 

12 " _5 

Total examined 786 

Per cent examined, 78.6. 

Total reporting 1002 



46 

Two sets of examinations are mingled in this statement : 

1. general, with a view to recommending special exercises ; 

2. special, before entering contests. Some students have 
omitted the latter ; the records of the Gymnasium for 1886-87 
show 824 examined and 253 not examined in a total of 1077. 
(See Table 11.) The results therefore agree very closely, al- 
lowing for those who have not answered the circular. The 
examination is required only in the case of students who are 
about to compete in some sport. 



26. Prevention of the Use of Apparatus in the Gymnasium. 
(Question 5.) 

Not interfered with by regular teams 819 819 

" Not a member of the Gymnasium " 1 

Do not use the Gymnasium 76 

Have waited for individuals 12 

Work in teams 37 

Choose hours when teams are not exercising ... 16 

Avoid the difficulty 142 

Sometimes interfered with 22 

Interfered with 25 

Total complainants 47 

Total reporting 1008 

It is a rule of the Gymnasium that organized teams shall have 
precedence ; they use, however, almost no apparatus which is 
in demand by ordinary exercisers, save the chest-weights and 
rowing machines. The precedence in the use of the rowing 
machines and base ball "cage" is settled by regulation and by 
amicable agreement among the students ; in general, University- 
Teams come first, then Freshman Teams, then Class organiza- 
tions and then other organizations. 

27. Prevention of the Use of Play-Grounds. (Question 6.) 

Not interfered with 736 736 

Do not use the grounds 127 

On teams 17 

Choose times when teams are not exercising .... 7 

Avoid the difficulty 151 

Sometimes interfered with 28 

Interfered with _79 

Total complainants 107 

Total reporting 994 



47 



The precedence of choice of hours is settled by amicable 
agreement ; University Teams and Class organizations have pre- 
cedence of '' Scrub " Teams. The Lacrosse Teams in general 
have given way to the Nine and Foot Ball Teams. The Cricket 
Eleven has had to wait for the three just mentioned. 

28. Slio"wing the Number of Students vrho belong to 0, 1, 2, etc., 
Athletic Organizations. (Question 7.) 

Belonging to organization 308 students. 

" 1 " 309 

" " 2 organizations 157 ** 



3 


87 


4 


32 


5 


15 


6 


5 


7 


6 


8 
9 
orting . 


2 

. . 922 



This table does not include the replies of 100 students ; but 
it may be valuable as showing the relative numbers of those 
belonging to many and those belonging to few organizations. 



29. Number and Importance of Injuries to Students in Athletic 
Exercises and Contests. (Question 8.) 

912 students have had no injury. 
88 " " been injured once. 

13 " " " " twice. 

3 " " " " three times. 

These injuries have been distributed among the sports and 
exercises as follows : — 



Slight. 



Very 
Slight. 



Gymnasium 

Outdoor Exercise (bicycling, running, etc.) 

Tennis 

Foot ball 

Base ball 

Lacrosse 

Sparring 

Wrestling 

Tug-of-war 

Total, 



24 



21 
12 

5 
31 
14 

4 



94 



27 

16 

5 

42 

21 
8 
4 

1 



48 



These are all the injuries received by students now in College 
since they came here; or these numbers are to be divided by 
2i to obtain the average number of injuries per year ; it is 
approximate!}^ ,01 serious injury for each man. 

30. The Amount contributed by Students for the Support of 
Athletics. (Question 9.) 





Each. 






Each 


259 students have contributed . 


$0 


38 students have contributed 


. $30 


18 


1 


23 




. 35 


10 


2 


29 




. 40 


12 


3 


8 




. 45 


2 u u a ^ 


4 


87 




. 50 


78 


5 


2 




. 55 


3 


6 


4 




. 60 


4 


7 


1 




. 65 


10 " " " . 


8 


3 




. 70 


• " " " . 


9 


9 




. 75 


118 


10 


4 




. 100 


117 " " ". . 


15 


1 




. 150 


107 


20 


1001 




104 


25 


19 unable to answer. 




Total, $15,421. 




Average, 115.41. 





This estimate is undoubtedly too large, as in two of the most 
important organizations season tickets are given in return for 
subscriptions, a.nd the money thus paid for tickets has to the 
knowledge of the Committee been in some cases included in 
the amounts contributed. 



31. Number of Students who have attended 1, 2, 3, etc., Intercol- 
legiate Contests in Cambridge during the last year. (Question 10.) 

20 students have attended 15 contests. 

2 '< " " 16 

2 « a « 17 

4 " '' " 20 

215 have attended all or nearly all. 

2 " "a few. 

26 " " half. 

4 " " all championship con- 

tests. 
1 " " all except foot ball 

contests. 
67 " " all base ball and foot 

ball contests. 
12 are unable to answer. 

1033 



70 students have attend 


?d no contests 


51 


u w 


" 


1 contest. 


63 


" 


" 


2 contests. 


89 


" 


" 


3 


70 


c, 


" 


4 


77 
105 


« (t 


» 


5 

6 " 


28 




« 


7 


37 


" 


« 


8 


11 


" 


" 


9 " 


45 


,< u 


" 


10 


8 


" 


" 


11 


18 


" 


" 


12 


2 


" 


" 


13 


4 


«' «' 


" 


14 



49 



The total number of such contests, as shown by the records 
at the Gymnasium, in the year preceding May 22, 1888, was 25. 
Assuming that those who answered that they had attended 
" all " or " nearly all" the contests had on the average attended 
24, that those answering "a few" had attended 5, those an- 
swering " half," 13, those answering "all championship con- 
tests," 11, those answering " all except foot ball," 17, those 
answering " all foot ball and base ball contests," 23, we have as 
the average number of such contests which each student has 
attended, lOJ. 678 students have attended less than this aver- 
age number, and 343 more than this average. Of the 70 stu- 
dents recorded as attending no contests, 44 state positively that 
they have attended no contest, while the remainder gave such 
answers as led to the conclusion that they had attended none. 



Attendance at Athletic Contests in Cambridge, not counting the 
Intercollegiate Athletic Contests. (Question 11.) 



92 students 


have attended no contests 


18 " 


" 


1 contest. 


37 " 




2 contests. 


36 " 


u 


3 " 


31 " 


" " 


4 " 


67 " 


" 


5 " 


73 " 


" 


6 " 


34 " 




7 " 


37 " 


" 


8 " 


13 " 


u 


9 " 


103 " 


u <« 


10 " 


6 " 


" « 


11 " 


81 " 


" " 


12 " 


4 " 


" 


13 " 


3 " 


u 


14 " 


39 " 


" 


15 " 


7 " 


u « 


16 " 



5 students have attended 17 contests. 

6 " " " 18 " 
1 " •-' " 19 " 

39 " " " 20 " 

3 " " " 22 " 
1 " " " 24 " 

14 " " " 25 " 

6 " " " 27 " 

5 " " " one third. 

75 " " " one half. 

8 " " " two thirds. 
137 " " " all. 

9 " " " a few. 

4 ** " " all base ball 
984 and foot ball. 

34 are unable to answer. 



The whole number of such contests, as shown by the records 
of the Gymnasium, in the year preceding May 22, 1888, was 27. 
Using this number, and assuming that those who answered " a 
few " had attended 5, we find the average number attended by 
each student about llyo". 626 students have attended less 
than this average, and 358, more. 

4 



50 



33. Attendance of Students at Intercollegiate Contests outside of 
Cambridge. (Question 12.) 

560 students have attended no such contest. 



254 " 


1 ' 


< i( 


122 " 


2 * 


* contests. 


57 " 


3 


< u 


18 " 


4 * 


e K 


Q U U 


5 ' 


C i< 


1 « a 


6 


' " 


Ulo 

3 do not know how many. 





On the average rather more than two students out of three 
have attended one such contest. This does not mean that 
students have generally attended such contests ; on the contrary, 
over half the students have not attended any such contest. 
In this connexion it should be noted thao this number includes 
those who attended one contest at Tufts College, two miles and 
a half away, and one contest at New York on Thanksgiving 
day; and that many students have included the boat races 
which took place after the end of the term. These numbers 
are then too large. 



34. Number of College Exercises missed by Students in conse- 
quence of attending Intercollegiate Contests outside of Cambridge. 
(Question 13.) 



r22 have missed no 


exercise. 


1 


has missed 12 exercises. 


49 " 


1 


" 


1 


13 


81 " 


2 


exercises. 


2 


14 


42 " 


3 


" 


1 


15 


31 " 


4 


« 


2 


,< 20 


27 " 


5 


«* 


1 student has been absent 1 day. 


25 " 


6 


" 


1 


" '* " " 1^ days 


7 " 


7 


" 


4 


" " " 2 •' 


7 " 


8 


« 


8 


a u « 3 u 


1 " 


9 


« 


1 


" « " 4 " 


3 « 


10 


" 


1012 





12 students are unable to answer the question. 

Assuming that students have fourteen exercises per week on 
the average, or two and a half exercises per day, the Commit- 
tee find that 1012 students have missed 1054 exercises, or on 
the average each student has missed slightly more than one 
exercise. 



51 

852 students have missed less than tlie work of one day. 

75 " " " one day or more and less than two days. 

63 " " " two days " " " three days. 

11 " " " three " " " " four days. 

6 " " " four " " " " a week. 

5 " " " more than a week. 
1012 

Note. — The students whose homes are in New York or in its vicinity would 
many of them have gone home at Thanksgiving in the autumn of 1887, and have 
been absent from Cambridge the following Friday and Saturday, even had tliere 
been no foot ball game at New York on that day. Many of these students, if not 
all of them, have given the whole number of exercises which they missed, and 
remarked that they should have been absent had there been no game. One student 
remained in New York a week to be with his father, who met him there; he 
includes all his absences. 

On the other hand, it is probable that some students who were on teams liave 
missed exercises which they have not counted, as they were absent from Cam- 
bridge by permission. 



35. College Opinion on Athletics. (Question 14.) 

Question 14 on the circular sent to the students called forth 
a great number of answers, which evidently were the honest, 
outspoken views of the writers. These answers represented 
nearly every shade of opinion on every question connected with 
athletics. It was at first the plan of the Committee to publish 
what seemed to them to be fair samples of these answers. It 
soon appeared, however, that the expressions of opinions would 
have but little value unless the names of the writers were given 
with them ; but it was impossible to do this under the agree- 
ment to regard the answers in the circulars as confidential. It 
was then decided to give a succinct statement of student public 
opinion as shown by the replies. 

The answers are naturally classified under various heads, 
as will be seen below ; it should, however, be said that the an- 
swers were arranged in this way after they were received, and 
that the question did not indicate that answers were expected 
on any special points. 

EFFECTS OF ATHLETICS ON PARTICIPANTS. 

It is a very general opinion that those who actively partici- 
pate in athletics, especiall}^ those who undergo regular training, 
are thereby benefited not only physically, but also mentally 



52 

and morally. Many students give their own experience as a 
confirmation of this opinion, saying they have enjoyed better 
health, or gained in weight or strength ; others call attention 
to the fact that when they were obliged for some reason to give 
up regular exercise their work on their studies became less 
satisfactory. The mental effect is accounted for as arising from 
increased health, from greater regularity in hours of study, from 
diminished attention to outside matters, from being led to 
abandon billiards and other games which are not necessarily 
confined to certain limits. 

It is worthy of notice that several students value the oppor- 
tunity to take part in athletics because they are in this way 
enabled to form pleasant and lasting friendships. Athletic ex- 
cises are said to be valuable on account of their moral effect on 
participants, mainly because the}^ prevent in a very effective way 
any tendency to dissipation. The athlete, when once he has 
undertaken to train, is said to be strongly bound by College 
public opinion to work regularly, to abstain from all dissipation, 
and generally to observe the laws of health. The reaction 
which might be feared when the training comes to an end is 
said not to occur. It is said that the man who trains is left 
stronger in mind and body, as also in that moral strength which 
enables him to resist temptation to vice. 

EFFECTS ON STUDENTS IN GENERAL. 

Many students who do not consider themselves especially 
interested in athletics express the pleasure which they have in 
witnessing athletic sports ; they find that they are thus drawn 
away from their books when they need rest, and in many 
instances led to take exercise themselves. These and others 
believe that if athletic sports were done away with, the energy 
which is now expended on them would be expended in ways 
not at all beneficial to the students, and probably very disa- 
greeable to the authorities of the College and the people of Cam- 
bridge. They protest against the idea that an hour taken from 
athletics would be necessarily an hour applied to books. Others 
hold that it is an evil to waste time in witnessing games ; that 
those who only look on ought themselves to be exercising. It 
is to the class who only look on, that all or nearly all of the evils 



53 

of athletic contests are charged. It is recognized that they lead 
in the betting and celebrating. Betting is very generally and 
strongly condemned ; and some go so far as to wish to do away 
with the contests in order to do away with the betting. Others 
point out that if betting on athletic contests were abolished 
there would still be betting on other matters ; and they think 
that betting, and the other vices which attend it, must be 
driven out, if they are ever expelled, by a strong and healthy 
public opinion. 

Many students point out that education should be moral, 
mental, and physical at the same time, while many others differ 
from those just mentioned only in urging that the moral and 
mental sides should not be subordinated to the physical. 

EFFECTS OF PARTICULAR SPORTS. 

There is a tendenc}^ to criticise somewhat adversely all the 
sports which lead to direct personal, especially to individual, 
contests. Sparring and wrestling are attacked most vigorously ; 
and the applause which these contests elicit in the Gymnasium 
is remarked with some surprise. 

Others assert that sparring has been directly beneficial to 
them, and that it develops keenness of sight and promptness of 
action. A few students feel that foot ball is too rough, or at 
least too rough for any but the very strong. 

INTERCOLLEGIATE CONTESTS. 

There is a very general protest against the abolition of inter- 
collegiate athletic contests. It is alleged that they stimulate 
students to take exercise, that they develop a feeling for one's 
own college, that the rivalry thus engendered is healthy to all, 
and that they have the effect of diminishing class feeling while 
they strengthen College feeling. It is asserted that if students 
do their work in the College to the satisfaction of their instruc- 
tors, they have a right to dispose of their remaining time in 
any way not detrimental to the University, and that the inter- 
collegiate contests are not detrimental. 



54 



FRESHMAN INTERCOLLEGIATE CONTESTS 

Meet with less favor than do those in which University teams 
are engaged. A considerable number of students would abolish 
them entirely, because they lead to too much excitement and too 
much distraction from studies when the Freshmen are yet new 
to their surroundings in the University; because they lead to 
celebrations which savor too much of the preparatory school ; 
because they lead to expense without a proportionate return. 
On the other hand, others favor them, because they tend to keep 
Freshmen out of dissipation at a time when they are very 
susceptible to its temptations, to make Freshmen acquainted 
with each other, and to bring them together as a class. This 
last number — those who look with favor on Freshman contests 
— point out that the objectionable celebrations would doubtless 
be abolished if the authorities made this a condition of the 
existence of Freshman contests. 



LIMITATION OF ATHLETIC CONTESTS. 

Opinions as to the limitations of contests to New England 
differ widel}^ Some think such action would lead to lack of 
interest, and thus to a falling off in the amount of exercise in 
the College ; others, who are in the majority, believe in limit- 
ing the contests in some way, and the championship contests 
to quite narrow limits, whenever Harvard teams are allowed 
the same facilities for valuable practice as others, or other 
teams are held down to the same conditions of practice as 
Harvard. 

PLAY WITH PROFESSIONALS. 

Several students urge that the University Base Ball Team 
shall be allowed to play with professionals either on the Col- 
lege grounds only, or in' some cases on other grounds as well. 
They believe that the character of the game and the behavior 
of the College Team would thereby be bettered, that the skill 
of the team would be improved, that our Nine would thus be 
put on an equality with the Nines of other colleges, and that 
the skill to play and win games could be gained in this way 



55 

with less expenditure of time and money than now. Others, on 
the other hand, protest against such an arrangement ; they hold 
that all our sports should be confined to amateurs, and that 
professionalism is objectionable in every form ; they point out 
that professional teams would bring undesirable followers. 
Others still favor in a general way confining our sports to 
amateurs, if other colleges can be induced to do the same. 



COMPLAINTS. 

The complaints may be divided into : a, those concerning the 
Gymnasium ; 6, the play-grounds ; (?, the boat-house. It is stated 
that the Gymnasium is not large enough, that the ventilation 
is bad, that the bathing facilities are inadequate, that the hand 
ball room is too small, that there are not instructors enough 
on the floor, especially for beginners and weak men, that there 
is no teacher of fencing or boxing, that there is no swimming- 
bath, and that the regular teams monopolize the apparatus. 
Against the last complaint it is urged that the teams take up no 
more space or time working together than they would if work- 
ing singly. 

As to the play-grounds, the complaint is that they are en- 
tirely too small. Students engaged in all kinds of sports join in 
this, but those who wish to play cricket and tennis are especially 
strenuous. 

The boating facilities are criticised because the accommoda- 
tions of the boat-house are meagre, there are no boats for gen- 
eral use or to be hired, and because there are no row-boats, in 
distinction to racing-boats. 

EXPENSES. 

There is a feeling, apparently a strong one, that too much 
money is spent on athletics ; or perhaps the feeling is that the 
money spent is not spent wisely ; and this feeling is common 
with regard to all the principal organizations. Some students, 
believing that the return in exercise to those who participate, or 
in entertainment to those who look on, should be somewhat 
commensurable with the expenditure, protest against the con- 
tinuance of the boat races. 
LdtC. 



66 

The expense of tennis is said to keep many men from playing 
that game ; and it is vigorously urged that the courts should be 
made free. 

IN GENERAL. 

Several students ask that athletics be left to the management 
of students. They point to the advances which have been 
made in recent years in all the sports, and say that the under- 
graduate sentiment is in harmony with the general feeling of 
the Alumni, the Overseers, and the Faculty, and that, if left 
to itself and made to feel the responsibility, it will work out the 
problems to the satisfaction of all. 

It is often suggested that one way to curb the athletic inter- 
est, if there is too much of it, is to impose more mental work. 



VOTES UPON THE REPOET. 



VOTES OF THE COLLEGE FACULTY. 

Faculty Meeting, June 12, 1888. 

The special Committee appointed May 15, 1888, in accordance 
with the request of the Corporation, to examine the whole sub- 
ject of athletics presented a report. The report was accepted, 
and the thanks of the Faculty were voted to the Committee. 

The first two recommendations of the Committee were 
adopted. 

On the third recommendation it was voted : 

1. That the Committee on the Regulation of Athletic Sports shall 
liereafter be constituted as follows : of three graduates of the Col- 
lege ; of three members of the College Facult}', — these six members 
to be appointed b}^ the Corporation ; and of three undergraduates, 
who shall be chosen during the first week of the College 3'ear by the 
majority vote of the following students, — the presidents of the Senior, 
Junior, and Sophomore classes, and a representative from each of the 
following athletic organizations, — the Boat Club, the Cricket Club, 
and the Athletic, Base Ball, Foot Ball, Lacrosse, and Tennis Associa- 
tions, who shall be called together for the purpose of making this 
choice by the President of the University. 

2. That this Committee shall have full power over all matters 
relating to athletics and athletic contests, subject to such general 
regulations as the College Faculty may from time to time adopt. 
It shall present two written Reports each 3'ear to the Facult3\ 

3. That this Committee shall hold oflSce for one 3'ear, beginning at 
the opening of the academic 3'ear. 

4. That the Faculty reaffirm and adopt the following regulations 
on athletic sports : — 

[57] 



58 

1. No match games, races, or athletic exhibitions shall take place 
In Cambridge except after the last recitation hour on Saturda}-, or 
after four o'clock in the afternoon. 

2. No College club or athletic association shall play or compete 
with professionals. 

3. No person shall assume the functions of trainer or instructor 
in athletics upon the grounds, or within the buildings of the College, 
without authority in writing from the Committee. 

4. No student shall enter as a competitor in any athletio sport, or 
join as an active member any College athletic club, including base 
ball, foot ball, cricket, lacrosse, and rowing associations, without a 
previous •examination by the Director of the Gymnasium, and his 
permission so to do. 

5. All match games outside of Cambridge shall be played upon 
Saturday, unless permission to play on other days is first obtained 
from the Committee. 

Voted, That a copy of the report of the Committee and of the 
action of the Faculty thereon be sent to the President and Fellows in 
accordance with their vote of May 15, 1888. 

A true coj^y of record. 

Attest : C. J. WHITE, Acting Dean. 



VOTES OF THE CORPORATION, 

At a meeting of the President and Fellows of Harvard Col- 
lege, June 16, 1888. 

After full consideration of the votes of the Board of Overseers of 
May 2 and May 9 on ajjhletic contests, and the excesses and the 
abuses attending the samJ^J^f the statement made by the College 
Faculty at the request of tnfedE*resi(ient and Fellows, and of the pro- 
ceedings of the College Faculty thereon, — 

Voted, That the President and Fellows approve the votes adopted 
June 12 by the College Facult}- on the subject of athletic sports, and 
particularly the proposed alterations in the constitution of the Com- 
mittee on the Regulation of Athletic Sports, which the Facult}^ have 
made substantially in accordance with the suggestions of the Board 
of Overseers. 



FINAL VOTES OF THE COEPOKATION AND 
OVERSEEES. 

At a meeting of the President and Fellows on October 15, 
1888, the votes adopted by them on June 16 (see p. 58) were 
rescinded, and it was 

Voted^ That the following be adopted as one of the standing rules 
and orders of the President and Fellows and the Board of Over- 
seers : — 

A Committee for the regulation of Athletic Sports shall hereafter 
be annually appointed and chosen as follows : three members of the 
College Faculty, and three graduates of the College — these six to 
be appointed by the Corporation with the consent of the Overseers ; 
and also three undergraduates to be chosen during the first week of 
the College year b}^ the majority vote of the following students : the 
Presidents of the Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes, and a repre- 
sentative from each of the following athletic organizations : the Boat 
Club, the Cricket Club, and the Athletic, Base-ball, Foot-ball, La- 
crosse, and Tennis Associations, who shall be called together for the 
purpose of making this choice by the President of the University. 

This Committee shall have entire supervision and control of all 
athletic exercises within and without the precincts of the University 
subject to the authority of the Facult}' of the College, as defined by 
the Statutes. 

Voted^ That the Faculty and Committee be informed that the Cor- 
poration and Board of Oversees are of opinion that further restric- 
tions should be placed upon inter-collegiate contests, in regard to the 
places where and the days when the}' should be played, and the teams 
that shall take part therein. 

At a meeting of the Board of Overseers on October 17, 1888, 
the Board consented to the above votes of the President and 
Fellows, and rescinded the votes passed by the Board June 20, 
1888 (seep. 59). 



59 

Voted, That at the proper time the President and Fellows will 
appoint six members of that Committee in the manner proj^osed in 
the vote of the Facult}'. 

Voted, To communicate these votes to the Board of Overseers that 
the}' ma}' consent thereto if they see fit. 



VOTES OF THE OVERSEERS. 

In Board of Overseers of Harvard College. 
Boston, June 20, 1888. 

The Board having considered the votes of the College Faculty 
of June 12, embodied in the vote of the President and Fellows 
of June 16, it was, — 

Voted, To consent to votes numbers 1 and 3 of the College Faculty, 
and to vote number 4 as am^»d, by adding after " Saturday " in 
section 5 the words " or holid^s^ and b}- striking out the words 
" unless permission to pla^" upon oof^ daj's were first obtained from 
the Committee." V^ 

Voted, Not to consent to vote numbeiv^/of the College Facult}'. 

Voted, That the Committee on Athletics^ SiyDuld have entire super- 
vision and control of all athletic exercises^ithin and without the 
precincts of the University, subject to the authority of the Faculty, 
except as otherwise provided b}' this Board. 

A true copy of record. 

Attest: ALEXANDER McKENZIE, Secretary. 



OiO 108 578 U 



jV 691 
M2 

:opy 1 



'WB 



